Britain and the United States will both supply Australia with nuclear submarines as the country races to build its defences against the growing threat from China, according to leaks from both sides of the Atlantic.
Australia will acquire the American-designed Virginia-class and a future British-designed nuclear-powered submarine in an acquisition plan costing hundreds of billions of dollars, which may run for 40 years.
Negotiations between the UK, Australia and the US have been continuing since September 2021, when the Aukus defence pact between the three countries was announced. The initial expectations were that Australia would opt for a US-designed submarine, with Britain being a bit-player in the project.
However, Rishi Sunak is now said to be “delighted” with the outcome of the talks. A
