Senate Foreign Relations Committee Approves Nuclear Submarine Transfer to Australia.
The U.S. Foreign Relations Senate Committee has initiated the process of obtaining U.S. Congressional approval for the United States to temporarily provide Australia with two nuclear-powered submarines. This move is part of a broader effort to deepen defense sharing within the AUKUS defense alliance, which is committed to promoting liberty.
In a bipartisan move on July 13, the committee authorized the transfer of two used Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the United States to Australia. It also approved the sale of a third unspecified submarine. These measures aim to strengthen Australia’s defense capabilities and support the development of their own submarine industrial base.
The bill, presented as an amendment in the State Authorization Act of 2023, expedites the transfer of secret U.S. military hardware to Australia and the UK over the next five years. This prioritizes the AUKUS members, placing them just behind Taiwan and Ukraine.
Chairman Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) speaks at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 23, 2021. (Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images)
While no specific date has been specified for the transfer of the submarines, the AUKUS agreement signed in March by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and U.S. President Joe Biden outlined a timeline for early to mid-2030. The agreement also promised Australia three Virginia-class submarines.
The Senate committee’s amendment is expected to pass with bipartisan support in the coming weeks.
Challenges to Resolve
However, there may be challenges in Congress regarding the timing and number of submarines heading to Australia. The U.S. fleet is currently facing maintenance backlogs and construction delays.
U.S. shipyards are currently producing fewer Virginia-class submarines than targeted, resulting in a slower replacement rate for retiring vessels. The Chief of U.S. Naval Operations, Admiral Michael Gilday, stated that production is currently hampered at around 1.2 vessels per year.
Despite these challenges, both Admiral Gilday and senior Biden advisor Kurt Campbell believe that the necessary capacity will be delivered, although no specific deadline has been set.
Last month, the U.S. Navy released its newest Virginia-class attack submarine, the USS Iowa, marking completion at a shipyard in Groton, Connecticut.
The U.S. currently has 21 Virginia-class vessels on duty, falling short of the 66-boat force-level goal outlined by Congress in 2016. The Biden administration aims to have 66 to 72 vessels in its fleet.
Meanwhile, China’s submarine fleet is expected to grow from 66 vessels to 76 by 2030, with the Chinese Communist Party’s navy currently having 56 submarines in its fleet.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned of challenges in the American industrial base, emphasizing the need for reinvestment and bipartisan support. Congress has now capped defense spending for the next two years, leading to difficult decisions.
The AUKUS pact was born out of Australia’s need to upgrade its submarine fleet in response to China’s rapid militarization. Nuclear-powered submarines will provide Australia with the ability to operate stealthily in contested waters.
To date, the United States has only shared its nuclear-powered submarine technology with the United Kingdom. Canada and New Zealand, both Five-eyes partners, do not have access to this technology through AUKUS.
Australia will use the U.S.’s Virginia-class submarines as conventionally-armed vessels. As Australia prohibits nuclear power generation, the weapons-grade uranium fuel required for the submarines will be processed overseas and returned as drum waste.
The bill also includes provisions for Australia’s financial contributions to the U.S. Treasury, the creation of an AUKUS Senior Advisor position within the State Department, and the easing of arms export controls to Australia.
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