MOSCOW, 16 Sep. Australia will receive at least eight nuclear-powered submarines as part of the AUKUS defense alliance, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and three other ministers said in a joint statement. Earlier, Morrison, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and US President Joe Biden announced the creation of a new AUKUS partnership in the field of defense and security. The first initiative within the framework of this alliance will be the creation of nuclear submarines for the Australian Navy.
“Within the framework of AUKUS, the three countries will immediately focus on identifying the optimal route to deliver at least eight nuclear submarines to Australia,” the Australian side said in a statement.
Earlier, ABC TV reported that Canberra decided to create a fleet of nuclear submarines and to abandon a contract with the French Naval Group worth 90 billion Australian dollars (about 66 billion US dollars) in favor of a joint project with the United States and Great Britain. As the company noted, it offered Australia “a conventional submarine of exceptional quality.” In 2017, the Australian government announced that it had selected the Naval Group for the country's largest defense conventional submarine development project. On the eve of Canberra announced that it was withdrawing from the agreement on submarines with the French company. The country's authorities explained their decision by “accelerating changes in regional security.” The Chinese Embassy in Washington, in response to the formation of a defensive partnership between the United States, Great Britain and Australia, has already urged countries to get rid of the Cold War mentality and not create alliances directed against anyone.
Australia withdraws from conventional submarine agreement with France