AUKUS Submarine (SSN-A) Programme: Trilateral Security Partnership for Nuclear Submarines

Context

Recently, Australia announced to contribute $3bn for construction of AUKUS nuclear powered submarines.

Key Highlights On AUKUS submarine (SSN-A) Programme

• Under the AUKUS Agreement, Australia will buy up to five nuclear submarines from the US in the early 2030s before jointly building and operating a new class, SSN-AUKUS, with Britain, around a decade later. 
  • The pact will see Australia become the seventh nation to operate nuclear-powered submarines.
• All AUKUS partners are significantly investing to ensure program success, reshaping and integrating their industrial bases to facilitate SSN cooperation. 
• Recent Developments: On the day of the funding announcement, Taiwan reported detecting 36 Chinese military aircraft in its vicinity over the previous 24 hours, marking the highest number observed in 2024.

What Is AUKUS Agreement?

• In 2021, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States have formed a significant trilateral security partnership named AUKUS for the Indo-Pacific.
• Motive: To Bolster the Collective industrial base capacity and Stimulate economic growth within the defense and national security sectors of the involved nations. 
  • Pivotal features : Transfer of US nuclear submarine technology to Australia. 
  • Strategic orientation towards the Indo-Pacific: Position the alliance as a countermeasure to China’s increasingly assertive maneuvers in the South China Sea.

AUKUS Submarine (SSN-A) Programme

Submarine Construction:

• Nuclear reactors for the vessels will be built in Derby,UK.
• Submarines will be constructed by BAE Systems in Adelaide,Australia. 
• The Virginia-class submarines are a British design but will have a US weapons system on board.

Features: 

• Possess Diverse functionalities: intelligence gathering, surveillance, undersea warfare, and strike missions. 
• Enhanced Stealth and Silence Capability will ensure optimal interoperability among AUKUS partners: It will surpass Australia’s current diesel-powered fleet in stealth and silence, enabling prolonged deployments without surfacing.

Regional Implications of AUKUS Agreement

• Defense Preparedness Over Global Dynamics: 

• • AUKUS reflects an intensified emphasis on defense readiness, accentuated by ongoing conflicts like the Ukraine crisis and geopolitical shifts such as Brexit. 

• Implications Over Indo- Pacific Region:  

  • Enhanced Maritime Security &  Strategic Measures: Chinese assertiveness prompts AUKUS to reaffirm strict nuclear non-proliferation and strengthen undersea presence in the Indo-Pacific region, aiming to enhance global security and tackle regional challenges.
  • Technological Advancements: It will concentrate on developing and exchanging advanced technologies in areas like artificial intelligence, cyber, and underwater warfare, bolstering the military capabilities of the member countries.
  • Economic Opportunities: It  will yield economic benefits by fostering the development of new technologies and defense industries, fostering job creation and economic growth within member countries.

• Chinese Concerns Regarding AUKUS: 

  • China has expressed apprehensions regarding the AUKUS agreement, fearing its potential to escalate an arms race in the Asia-Pacific region & nuclear proliferation risks.
  • Intensified Military Activities and Assertive Behavior: 
    • China has escalated its military activities, undertaking modernization and expansion efforts across its armed forces, particularly its navy. 
    • Assertiveness in asserting territorial claims, notably in the South China Sea and towards Taiwan by constructing artificial islands and reefs, as well as deploying its coast guard and maritime militia to reinforce its territorial claims.

• Implications for India: 

  • Deterrence against Chinese Assertiveness: AUKUS could offer India deterrence against China’s assertive actions in the Indo-Pacific.
  • Indirect benefit from the collaboration: involving technological advanced nations striving for a free Indo-Pacific.
  • Safety over India’s regional dominance: Concerns arise over the proliferation of nuclear attack submarines in the Eastern Indian Ocean due to AUKUS, potentially undermining India’s regional dominance.

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