AUKUS: Congress introduces Bill allowing Australian sailors to train on US nuclear submarines

The Morrison government was set to buy two nuclear submarines from the US, Peter Dutton claims – but hasn’t explained his reasons.

Australian navy officers would receive rigorous training aboard US nuclear submarines under a “milestone” piece of legislation introduced in Washington.

Democratic and Republican congressmen have proposed a Bill that would allow Australian submariners to study at a special nuclear school in South Carolina before being deployed on US nuclear submarines every year from 2023.

The bipartisan legislation comes as former defence minister Peter Dutton struggles to explain why he believes the US would give Australia two Virginia-class submarines by 2030 to plug a naval capability gap.

Democratic congressman Joe Courtney is spearheading the Australia-US Submarine Officer Pipeline Act, which would provide a major boost to the AUKUS partnership and address concerns that Australia will not have the skills to operate highly advanced nuclear submarines.

“The AUKUS alliance is the most important national security partnership that America has entered into in decades,” said Mr Courtney, co-chairman of the Congressional AUKUS Working Group.

A US Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarine.

Mr Courtney labelled the legislation, which has bipartisan support, a “major milestone” in the AUKUS pact between Australia, the US and Britain.

“Our Bill will authorise an education and training program for Royal Australian Navy submariners to receive formal instruction in the highest standard of US Navy technology”, he said.

Starting next year, at least two Australian submariners every year would be deployed to the US to be trained in at the Nuclear Power School in Goose Creek, South Carolina, before being assigned to duty on a US nuclear submarine at sea.

Earlier this month, Mr Dutton revealed the Morrison government had planned to purchase two Virginia-class nuclear submarines from the US production line in Connecticut by 2030, before another eight were built at Adelaide’s Osborne shipyard.

But the Opposition leader on Sunday struggled to explain the basis of his plan.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said it was “common sense” for the US to give Australia two submarines before 2030.

Mr Dutton told ABC’s Insiders program that it was based on his “judgment” after visiting the Connecticut shipyard, but said he was not going to divulge details of “discussions” he had there.

“There’s nothing top secret in a professional judgment that I made as defence minister at the time,” he said.

“It’s not based on classified information or secrets, but the judgment that I made … It’s a commonsense conclusion.”

Mr Dutton accused the federal government of trying to “crab walk” away from the AUKUS deal.

“I suspect the treasury secretary has put before them the figures over the next 10 years, and has said to them ‘you can either spend money on submarines or you can spend it on other programs at the election’,” Mr Dutton claimed.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said he remained “committed” to AUKUS and acquiring nuclear submarines.

The Defence Department is nine months into an 18-month study to determine the details of how to build nuclear submarines in Adelaide, including whether to construct US Virginia-class boats or the UK Astute-class.

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Originally published as AUKUS: Congress introduces Bill allowing Australian sailors to train on US nuclear submarines