When then PM Scott Morrison imposed the AUKUS pact and submarine deal upon the Australian constituency in September 2021, the fanfare and the hype of the announcement did leave the viewer with the impression that the nation would be acquiring eight nuclear-powered submarines (SSN).
AUKUS involved dropping an existing submarine deal with France on the pretext it was delayed, in order to acquire nuclear-propelled boats, with the US and UK to share technologies with us, and further creating “a new security partnership”, to deal with “security changes in the Indo Pacific”.
SRF-West a go-go
Produced by the 110-year-old public policy research institute the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the new report gives it straight to congress regarding the financial viability of the original proposed optimal pathway, which, in turn, carries with it a lack of reason for Australia to acquire SSN.
The long game revealed
The CRS then presents Congress with an alternative that, based on “potential benefits, costs, and risks”, might be more effective and that is “procuring up to eight additional Virginia-class SSNs that would be retained in US Navy service and operated out of Australia along with the US and UK SSNs”.
This AUKUS Pillar I alternative would further involve a US-Australian division of labour, and this would comprise of US SSNs performing “both US and Australian SSN missions, while Australia invested in military capabilities for performing non-SSN missions for both Australia and the United States”.
The report then suggests the US-Australia division of labour might mimic similar arrangements Washington has with its NATO allies in relation to military capabilities, such “as aircraft carriers, SSNs, large surface combatants and amphibious ships”.
So, how would AUKUS Pillar I change under this model? Well, stage one, the establishment of SRF-West would remain the same. And as for stage two and three, the US would acquire eight Virginia SSNs that it would build itself and operate out of Western Australia using US Navy personnel.
But what of the billions Australia was set to “purchase, build, operate, and maintain its own SSNs” with?
Well, the US congress’ thinktank suggests that “those funds could be invested in other military capabilities”, such as long-range missiles and bombers, “so as to create an Australian capacity for performing non-SSN military missions for both Australia and the United States”.
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