On Monday, the leaders of AUKUS (Australia, UK, and US) announced that Australia will purchase nuclear-powered submarines from the US, reports AP News.
Australia will buy three, with an option for two more, nuclear submarines with an estimated cost of up to $245 billion by 2055.
“The most significant multilateral defense partnership in generations.“
– Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The unspoken but widely known purpose of the agreement is to counter China’s military buildup and influence in the Indo-Pacific.
China argues that the AUKUS deal violates the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, but Australian officials said they are working with nuclear-powered, not nuclear-armed, submarines.
