AUKUS nuclear submarine saga we’re tangled up in.
It’s a bloody expensive beast, and there’s plenty to chew over. Here’s the state of play as of June 2025:
1. AUKUS Agreement Lowdown
Back in September 2021, we signed up for the AUKUS pact with the Yanks and Poms to score some shiny, nuclear-powered (but conventionally armed) subs to replace our creaky old Collins-class diesel jobs. Here’s the gist:
- Pillar One: We’re set to nab 3–5 US Virginia-class subs in the early 2030s, then build our own SSN-AUKUS class (based on a UK design) in Adelaide by the early 2040s.
- Pillar Two: Bit of tech-sharing on the side, but let’s be real—subs are the main event.
- Price Tag: A whopping $368 billion AUD through the 2050s. Yep, you read that right. Most expensive defence project we’ve ever tackled. 😳
2. What’s Happening Now?
- Progress: Defence Minister Richard Marles reckons we’re “on track” (as of May 31, 2025). He’s banging on about boosting defence spending to keep it rolling.
The Poms are locked in to deliver 12 SSN-AUKUS subs by the late 2030s, which is critical since our first home-built sub leans on their design.
- US Commitment: We coughed up $US500 million earlier this year to prop up US shipyards.
USS Minnesota (a Virginia-class sub) rocked up at HMAS Stirling in Feb 2025 for a bit of a show-and-tell, with more visits planned to get our navy mates up to speed.
- Training & Infrastructure: We’ve got 115 Aussies training with the US nuclear navy and another 130 learning how to fix these beasts in Hawaii. Plus, a $480 million training facility in Osborne, SA, is being built—should be done by 2028.
3. The Headaches
Here’s where it gets messy:
- US Production Woes: The Yanks can barely keep up with their own sub orders, let alone ours. Some bigwig, Elbridge Colby (tipped for Trump’s Pentagon), reckons giving us subs could kneecap their deterrence against China, especially if Taiwan kicks off. 🤔
- Tariffs & Costs: Trump’s slapped steel and aluminium tariffs on allies like the UK and Canada, which could jack up costs for Virginia-class subs. Oh, and we’ve got a 2025 deadline to fork out $2 billion of a $3 billion pledge to US shipyards. Ouch. 💸
- UK Stuff-Ups: The Poms’ own project agency called their ability to make nuclear reactor cores for SSN-AUKUS “unachievable.” - you heard that right - “UNACHIEVABLE” 🤨
That’s a problem, ‘cause if they can’t deliver, we’re stuffed when the Collins-class start retiring in the 2030s.
- Sovereignty Drama: Big names like Malcolm Turnbull 😆 and Bob Carr are whinging that AUKUS ties us too tight to US foreign policy, maybe even selling out our sovereignty.
Same blokes who’d probably hand our healthcare sovereignty to Bill Gates’ WHO in a heartbeat. 🙄 Plus, there’s chatter about whether these subs are for our defence or just to back Uncle Sam’s China beef. But to me - this doesn’t matter - it falls in line with Australia becoming more “prickly”
4. Why We Want ‘Em
These subs are meant to be a game-changer—stealthy, fast, and able to loiter in the Indo-Pacific for ages. Perfect for keeping an eye on China’s navy, especially after their cheeky flotilla did a lap around Oz in early 2025. Imagine if we had the Nuclear Subs and unbeknown to the chinks we popped up on their stern?
5. The “Plan B” Crowd & Critics
Some reckon we should ditch AUKUS for a cheaper option, like French Suffren-class nuclear subs—smaller, less pricey, and less reliant on the US. Paul Keating’s been banging that drum,
calling AUKUS a lock-in to Washington’s anti-China crusade.
Has anyone looked at the new Subs from South Korea?
6. Public & Political Vibes
The deal’s got bipartisan backing here, locked in by the US National Defence Authorisation Act in 2023. But groups like “Labor Against War” are pushing for a rethink, especially with Trump’s crew making things unpredictable.
Others question why we’re chasing nuclear subs without a nuclear power industry, me included. We need the knowhow, we need the expertise, we need a stable electricity supply, we need the manpower.
Oh, and if anyone is telling you we are only going to pay 5 Billion per sub - tell them they have rocks in their heads - they are NOT looking at the big picture.
Hey asshole, who is going to pay for the training and time it takes to equip a crew to run those subs?
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