D-Day looms for SA’s submarine dream when Albanese meets Biden, Sunak in US
Australia is just days away from its biggest security deal since WWII – and it could change SA forever.
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Australia’s most significant security deal since World War II will be cemented in a matter of days as Anthony Albanese is expected to meet with US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in San Diego to unveil which nuclear submarine will be built in Adelaide.
While the announcement will happen more than 13,000km away, it will prove to be one of the most momentous events in South Australian history, as the state prepares for generational transformation.
Premier Peter Malinauskas declared the AUKUS security pact between Australia, the US and Britain “a massive deal for our state”.
“The AUKUS submarines will be the most complex machines that have ever been built in human history,” the Premier said.
“It is a transformational opportunity to increase our economic complexity, (which) means more highly skilled, highly paid jobs across our economy that will help lift our standard of living.
“This effort will require thousands of workers, hundreds of businesses and our universities working together on the biggest single program of work ever conducted in our country.”
Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead, the head of Defence’s Nuclear-Powered Submarine Taskforce, confirmed the level of work to be done at Adelaide’s Osborne shipyard would be even greater than originally anticipated.
“We are talking about thousands of thousands of job opportunities. We’ve got to design a shipyard, we’ve got to build that shipyard and then we’ve got to build the submarines, and we’re going to do that for decades,” Vice Admiral Mead told The Advertiser.
“That will redefine South Australia’s industrial landscape and bring a level of expertise and sophistication that is only seen in very few places in the world.
“You are talking about the most advanced technology in the world, and it’s going to be right there in the heart of Adelaide. I’ve got to tell you, it’s going to be a great time to be a South Australian.”
Vice Admiral Mead said the upcoming announcement would usher in “generational change for defence and for broader Australia”.
“I look at the 40 years I have been in the Department of Defence and I don’t think there’s anything that’s come anywhere close to what will be announced shortly,” he said.
Mr Albanese on Wednesday confirmed he would travel to the US “for a bilateral meeting” with President Biden.
Speculation is running high the AUKUS trio will meet next Monday in San Diego to unveil the “optimal pathway” for Australia to acquire a fleet of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines.
The announcement is expected to answer several crucial questions, including the submarine design of choice and the timeline and estimated cost of the project – predicted to be more than $100bn.
It has been 18 months since former prime minister Scott Morrison first announced the AUKUS security pact in a historic, early-morning live press conference alongside Mr Biden and then-UK PM Boris Johnson.
Covid restrictions at the time meant the three leaders had to meet virtually to make the announcement, with Mr Biden infamously referring to Mr Morrison as “that fella down under”.
The September 2021 announcement shocked many as Australia controversially dumped its $90bn Attack-class submarine deal with French shipbuilders Naval Group.
The dumping led to widespread concerns of a “capability gap” that could emerge once the ageing Collins-class submarines are retired.
But Vice Admiral Mead emphatically ruled out any concerns.
“The optimal pathway will deliver a capability where there is no gap,” he said.
Vice Admiral Mead said finding enough skilled workers remained the single biggest challenge facing the nuclear-powered submarine program.
“Having those people in place will define the success of the program
“There’s a 15-year-old girl at school right now in Adelaide … and one day she will be a future commanding officer of a nuclear-powered submarine, and her classmates will be tradespeople who will build the submarine and others who may crew the submarine.”
Outside of the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor, which is primarily used for medical purposes, Australia has limited nuclear expertise.
Just a handful of students are currently studying at Australia’s only nuclear engineering course at the University of NSW. This is despite estimates from the university itself that 600 nuclear engineers must graduate by 2028 to prepare for the AUKUS build.
A new industry must be established to ensure Australia has the sovereign capability to build, operate and maintain the submarines, as well as satisfy stringent international safety and non-proliferation requirements.
“We currently have Royal Australian Navy officers in the US right now undergoing nuclear reactor training – the US has never done that before with others,” Vice Admiral Mead said.
Australian navy officers will also study in the UK.
Vice Admiral Mead described the future workforce as a “pyramid” made up of workers who would be “nuclear aware” – but at the top would be nuclear experts with PhDs and specialists in nuclear physics.
Speaking of the “deteriorating” global world order, Vice Admiral Mead said nuclear-powered submarines were crucial to protect Australia’s vulnerable trading channels and underwater sea cables that helped prop up the country’s $2 trillion economy.
“Ninety-nine per cent of our imports and exports is via cargo ship and 95 per cent of our telecommunications, ICT, internet, mobile banking, goes through undersea cables,” he said.
“Nuclear-powered submarines ... can remain submerged and undedected for months on end and they place the greatest question in the minds of anyone that seeks to do harm to Australia.”
Defence SA boss Richard Price said the submarine build would establish the state as a “world class manufacturing centre for decades to come”.
“The program will lift the capability of local industry, provide highly-skilled manufacturing jobs for South Australians and deliver significant economic benefits across the state,” Mr Price said.
gabriel.polychronis@news.com.au
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Originally published as D-Day looms for SA’s submarine dream when Albanese meets Biden, Sunak in US
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