British nuclear sub’s visit may be Astute ad

Britain will press its case to build Australia’s promised nuclear-powered submarines during an upcoming visit by a British ­nuclear boat to Perth.

One of the British Navy’s Astute-class submarine, the HMS Ambush.

Britain will press its case to build Australia’s promised nuclear-powered submarines during an upcoming visit by a British ­nuclear boat to Perth.

The Astute-class submarine has been sailing in a task group with British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth on its maiden voyage through the Indo-Pacific.

Defence sources in Canberra and Western Australia have confirmed the fast attack boat is scheduled to visit Perth naval base HMAS Stirling – the home of Australia’s Collins-class submarines – in coming weeks.

The British will use the visit to showcase the Astute’s capabilities to the Royal Australian Navy, with Australian sailors and officers expected to go to sea on the UK nuclear boat.

The submarine could also engage in exercises with an Australian Collins-class submarine, after taking on a Japanese Soryu-class sub in underwater drills last month.

HMS Artful, the third of the Astute-class, was initially sailing with the carrier strike group, but another submarine, either HMS Astute or HMS Ambush, was more recently spotted with the group.

The scheduled visit comes just weeks after British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said he believed the UK would build Australia’s nuclear-powered subs. “We are in a strong position to help the Australians achieve that capability so I am very confident that British engineering, British skills, Australian nous, will deliver a very good submarine,” Mr Wallace said this month.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also suggested Australia’s new submarines would be British-made, and AUKUS would create “hundreds” of highly skilled jobs across the UK and reinforce Britain’s place “at the leading edge of science and technology”.

A Defence taskforce has commenced an 18-month study to determine which submarine Australia will get, and how the navy and Australian industry can deliver on the government’s aspirations. Many in the government believe the US’s Virginia-class design would be a better option for Australia than the British Astute.

But it’s unclear whether the US would allow Australia direct access to its nuclear submarine technology, even under the AUKUS technology partnership struck in September between the three English-speaking allies.

The two US shipyards producing Virginia-class boats have no spare capacity to build submarines for Australia, although Australian defence sources have speculated we could invest in a third US production line.

The Virginia-class design would need few changes for Australian use, but defence analysts suggest the Astute’s combat system and weapons would need to be switched for American alternatives, significantly raising costs.

Australian Strategic Policy Institute executive director Peter Jennings said Britain was working hard to position itself in the unofficial competition to build Australia’s next-generation subs.

“If they had one in the region, getting it out here would be an obvious thing to do to promote British industry,” Mr Jennings said.

“Knowing the Brits, they won’t miss an opportunity to get out there and do some marketing.”

Australia regularly hosts US nuclear-powered submarines but it has been more than a decade since a UK nuclear boat visited.

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency will oversee the visit, and is responsible for contingency arrangements in the unlikely event of a nuclear accident.

Scott Morrison has described the AUKUS partnership as “the single largest step we have been able to take to advance our defence capabilities in this country”.

He has said the submarines will be built in Adelaide, but many strategists believe it would be better to purchase the boats from an overseas production line.

Australia’s HMAS Canberra and HMAS Anzac joined HMS Queen Elizabeth’s carrier strike group earlier this month during Exercise Bersama Gold 21.