Senior US, UK officials flock to Adelaide for AUKUS subs talks

Senior US and UK defence officials are converging on Adelaide to inspect the Osborne shipyards, as Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson hold fresh talks on the AUKUS pact.

Senior defence officials from the US and UK are flocking to Adelaide to lay the groundwork for at least eight nuclear-powered submarines to be built at the Osborne naval shipyards.

The visits come as Prime Minister Scott Morrison and UK Prime Minister Boris hold virtual discussions on the AUKUS security pact, reaffirming their commitment to build the boats in Adelaide.

Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead, the head of Defence’s Nuclear-Powered Submarine Task Force, revealed senior delegations have started inspecting Adelaide’s shipyards and holding crucial discussions with federal government-owned shipbuilders ASC and Australian Naval Infrastructure.

Head of the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Task Force Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead

“There are three specific delegations that are in Australia,” Vice Admiral Mead told a Senate Estimates hearing on Thursday.

“There is another delegation from the US and UK that have just arrived, and late next week there will be an even more senior delegation, where I will take them down to Adelaide,” he said.

Vice Admiral Mead also revealed Australian Navy officers were being sent to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US to study nuclear engineering.

Mr Morrison vowed to build the nuclear-powered submarines in Adelaide as part of the AUKUS security pact with the US and UK, dumping the $90bn Attack-class submarine program with France.

Australia launched an 18-month task force in September to determine the best pathway for acquiring a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

Mr Morrison and Mr Johnson on Thursday morning held a virtual summit, where they agreed to boost naval activity in the Indo-Pacific and increase cyber security collaboration under the AUKUS pact.

The Advertiser understands the two leaders discussed SA’s crucial role in the partnership.

“The leaders welcomed the presence in Australia of UK and US officials to provide expert advice on the many facets of nuclear stewardship needed to operate a nuclear powered submarine capability,” Mr Morrison’s office said in a statement.

Officials from Australia and the US are in London to discuss strengthening collaboration in cyber security and artificial intelligence – hi-tech fields that are thriving at Adelaide’s Lot Fourteen precinct.

Defence officials told the Senate Estimates hearing they would be forced to list the SA-based $45bn Hunter-class frigate program as a “project of concern” if it was further delayed.

The program has already been plagued with delays due to issues arising from the British Navy’s Type-26 design, on which the Hunter class is based.

“From my perspective, if we were to experience further delay, we would absolutely be looking at discussing with government about adding this project to the projects of concerns list,” Defence’s national shipbuilding program manager Tony Dalton said.

Mr Dalton also revealed the future Hunter-class frigates had no speed or range requirements, as he and other officials were grilled by Senators over a damning internal engineering report that warned the ships would be “substantially” slower and easier to detect by enemy vessels.

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