AUKUS alliance: Historic deal will give us access to latest in British technology

The AUKUS submarine project will draw upon six decades of British expertise in nuclear submarine manufacture, Boris Johnson said.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in London on Thursday (AEST).

The AUKUS submarine project will be “one of the most complex and technically demanding projects in the world” drawing upon six decades of British expertise in nuclear submarine manufacture, Boris Johnson said.

Mr Johnson said Britain had 60 years of expertise in this field dating back to the launch of the Royal Navy’s first nuclear submarine.

As a trusted Five Eyes intelligence partner, Downing Street said it will also share with Australia cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and undersea systems “ushering in a new era of collaboration on security and defence-related science, technology, industrial bases and supply chains”.

Defence analysts believed that the Australian deal – which will take 18 months to scope the specifications using both British and American parts – could involve a bespoke remodelling of the Astute class submarines using some of the latest Dreadnought expertise from Rolls-Royce Derby and BAE Systems. Mr Johnson said the Australian submarines will be powered by nuclear reactors – and not armed with nuclear weapons – to preserve security and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

The Dreadnought submarines are substantially quieter than conventional combustion engines which greatly assists in stealth defence. They can generate their own oxygen stores and fresh water and so do not need to resurface for months at a time.

Mr Johnson hailed the agreement as being most significant for reflecting the three countries measure of trust, the depth of friendship and the enduring strength of shared values of freedom and democracy. “Only a handful of countries possess nuclear powered submarines and it is a momentous decision for any nation to acquire this formidable capability, and perhaps equally momentous for any other state to come to its aid.

“But Australia is one of our oldest friends, a kindred nation and a fellow democracy, and a natural partner in this great enterprise.

“Now the UK will embark on this project alongside our allies, making the world safer and generating jobs across the United Kingdom.”

The last time Britain and the US formally agreed to collaborate on submarine nuclear technology was in 1958 under the US-UK Defence Agreement. The American nuclear technology was used to power Britain’s first nuclear submarine, HMS Dreadnought, with a S5W reactor.