The $ 245 billion AUKUS project, which Australia has signed with the United Kingdom and the United States (USA) to build a new generation of nuclear-powered submarines equipped with conventional weapons, has been criticized by China on the grounds that it has led to an arms race in the region.[1]
Regarding this issue, Australian Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy stated that AUKUS is a fundamental element for the country’s defense. Stating that Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine fleet will be used to gather intelligence in peacetime and attack enemy targets during war, Conroy said:[2]
“The arms race is at the biggest level since 1945, so I reject claims that Australia is somehow fueling this arms race. We are responding to this. Conflict is certainly not inevitable. We need to be able to be a deterrent before the conflict starts and certainly before it reaches our shores. You don’t defend Australia just by putting patrols off Karratha or Darwin. You need the ability to drive a competitor away and threaten a potential competitor’s assets as far away from Australia as possible.”
Australia is the country with the third largest special economic zone in the world. Therefore, the Collins class diesel-electric submarine fleet owned by the country has to travel thousands of kilometers before reaching the patrol area. This means that the submarine uses a lot of fuel along the way it travels. In addition, diesel-electric submarines are October 15-20% slower than nuclear-powered submarines.[3]
Australia will build a nuclear-powered submarine under the AUKUS project together with the United Kingdom and the United States. This step represents a large-scale military investment that could affect the security dynamics and balance in the region. By acquiring nuclear-powered submarines, Australia aims to respond effectively to the growing security threats in the region, especially with the countries it works with through the AUKUS project. As Defense Minister Pat Conroy noted, Australia’s move could be seen not as a response to an increasing arms race in the region, but as a response to existing security challenges before it became involved in that race.
Stressing that Australia is not provoking an arms race, but rather responding to it, Conroy says that conflict is not inevitable and his country needs a strong defense to play a deterrent role.
The fact that Australia has the third largest exclusive economic zone in the world increases the strategic importance of nuclear-powered submarines. These submarines are noted for their ability to strike enemy targets in combat situations, as well as ensuring security in the region with their intelligence-gathering capabilities in peacetime.
Australia’s possession of nuclear-powered submarines is being considered as part of an effort to respond effectively to security challenges in the region. However, the issues of how this step may affect regional dynamics and how it may trigger possible international reactions are a question mark. This strategic decision can also be seen as a step towards consolidating Australia’s role as a regional player.
[1] “Australia Says AUKUS a Response to Arms Race, not Fuel for It”, Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-says-aukus-response-arms-race-not-fuel-it-2023-11-28/, (Date of Accession: 28.11.2023).
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
