Australia promises that AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines will “succeed.”

ADELAIDE: Despite growing concerns over prices, capabilities, and the potential return of Donald Trump, Australia said on Friday that a historic agreement to create AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines with London and Washington was “going to happen.”.
The three longstanding allies have committed to working together to strengthen their military might in an effort to thwart China’s ascent under the recently formed AUKUS agreement.

This week, defence commanders outlined bold plans to arm Australia with nuclear-powered submarines—a crucial component of the accord.
According to Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, “the three governments involved are working at pace to make this happen,” he told reporters on Friday.
“This is going to happen and we need it to happen,” he said.
After only two years of existence, AUKUS and its main project seem to be in danger.
Some worry that if Trump wins the presidency this year, he will abandon the agreement and resume his “America first” foreign policy approach.
As possible flashpoints spring up everywhere as China becomes more assertive in the Taiwan Strait, visiting UK military minister Grant Shapps said that AUKUS is more important than ever.
Risky moments
According to Shapps, the world was gradually moving from a “post-war” to a “pre-war” footing after decades of very peaceful conditions.
He said, “We are living in more dangerous times,” while giving a tour of South Australia’s Osborne Naval Shipyard.
Australia has contracted UK military firm BAE Systems to assist in building its fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.
By the 2050s, Australia intends to have eight nuclear-powered ships in the sea; these will be a combination of Virgina-class ships acquired from the US and new AUKUS-class submarines constructed domestically and in the UK.
Then, according to Marles, an endless “drumbeat” of AUKUS-class submarines would be produced “every few years” in Australia.
“There is no country in the world that has obtained the capability to build nuclear-powered submarines and then turned that capability off,” he said.
“We will see submarines being produced here on an enduring basis.”
strong danger
Australian defence authorities want to initially construct at least five AUKUS-class nuclear-powered submarines at a cost of billions of dollars, despite the fact that the financial specifics of the BAE agreement remain unknown.
The submarines will be a formidable menace to any adversary since they will be more silent, stealthy, and capable of deploying across great distances without coming to the surface than Australia’s current diesel fleet.
One of Europe’s biggest defence contractors, BAE Systems, said that it was “already making good progress on the design and development of the next generation submarine.”.
The UK navy has a strong partnership with this corporation, which builds its nuclear-powered Astute and Dreadnought classes of boats.
The project is enormous in scope, and there have been concerns about Australia’s ability to complete it given its lack of nuclear expertise and tiny fleet.
According to Australian authorities, the country’s nuclear sector will need some 20,000 personnel, including a horde of technicians, metal workers, electricians, and welders.
Due to cost overruns and poor design, the Australian military has had difficulty maintaining its existing fleet of outdated diesel-electric submarines.
Over the course of the next 30 years, the AUKUS submarine project may end up costing up to A$368 billion (US$240 billion).