British nuclear sub was original AUKUS plan, says Scott Morrison

Scott Morrison says if Australia selects a British nuclear submarine with a US combat system, it would ‘fall completely into the original aspirations and intentions of AUKUS’.

Scott Morrison with US President Joe Biden and then British prime minister Boris Johnson in 2021. Picture: Adam Taylor / PMO

Scott Morrison says if Australia selects a British nuclear submarine with a US combat system, it would “fall completely into the original aspirations and intentions of AUKUS”.

Speaking just days after his Coalition colleague Peter Dutton warned acquiring a UK boat would be a mistake, the former prime minister revealed Australia was initially interested in purchasing a British boat before talks widened to include consideration of a US design.

Mr Morrison’s comments come amid speculation a next-generation British submarine, dubbed SSN (R), could be selected by Australia when Anthony Albanese, US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announce the AUKUS decision next week.

Mr Morrison told Sky News presenter Sharri Markson that AUKUS “began with discussions in terms of a British boat, and it evolved into a discussion which potentially involved a US boat”.

“Now, I see the reports now and … it seems that there is some discussion about them going down the direction of a British boat with a US weapons system.

“That would fall completely into the original aspirations and intentions of AUKUS.”

Mr Morrison, who also called for defence spending to be lifted to 2.5 per cent of GDP from the current 2 per cent, said he believed planned 10-year life extensions for each of Australia’s six Collins-class submarines were “the most practical” way of dealing with a capability gap ahead of the acquisition of nuclear submarines.

The former prime minister hosed down speculation that Australia could plug the capability gap by leasing one or two US nuclear submarines, warning “Australian sailors can’t just jump on a Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarine and take it for a spin around the South China Sea”.

Mr Morrison said training Australian sailors to operate the advanced technology would take time, and that the US took its nuclear stewardship responsibilities seriously. Mr Dutton, the former defence minister, warned last week that a British submarine would likely be plagued with problems, while the US Virginia-class sub was a “proven design” that could be delivered faster.

Defence Minister Richard Marles told parliament that Mr Dutton’s information was “very out of date – and he knows it”.

He said the “optimal pathway”, which is due to be announced next week, would be “a genuine collaboration between all three countries”.