AUKUS: Republicans demand doubling of submarine production before backing pact

Republican group including Mitch McConnell demand a more than 100 per cent increase in sub production before they’ll back AUKUS.

US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (L and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Picture: AFP.

A group of Republican congressmen including Senate leader Mitch McConnell have demanded a more than 100 per cent increase in US submarine production as a condition for supporting the transfer of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia as part of the AUKUS security pact.

As annual AUSMIN discussions kick off in Brisbane between the foreign and defence ministers of Australia and the US, 23 Republicans in congress have asked the White House to “immediately” provide a plan, including a request for extra money, to lift production of Virginia class submarines from 1.2 to “a minimum of 2.5” per year.

“The administration’s current plan requires the transfer of three US Virginia-class attack submarines to Australia from the existing US submarine fleet without a clear plan for replacing these submarines,” the letter, signed by influential Republicans including Ted Cruz and Susan Collins, said.

“This plan, if implemented without change, would unacceptably weaken the US fleet even as China seeks to expand its military power and influence”.

Joe Biden and Anthony Albanese attend a quad meeting. Picture: AFP.

Provisions to green light the transfer of Virginia class submarines to Australia, which is expected to buy between three and five of the nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s have been bogged down in debate in congress as Republicans and Democrats thrash out an annual defence spending bill.

Last week Senator John Wicker, ranking member on a powerful Senate Armed Services committee, held up Senate legislation that would have enabled the transfer of nuclear submarines to Australia, as promised under the September 2021 AUKUS agreement between the US, Australia and the UK.

The House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday (Thursday AEST) proposed legislation to sell up to two submarines to Australia, stopping short of granting a blanket exemption to Australia for technology transfer, which the Senate had earlier approved.

“To make up for the sale of at least three attack submarines to Australia, the U.S. would have to produce somewhere between 2.3 to 2.5 submarines per year to avoid further shrinking our fleet’s operational capacity,” the Republican letter read, noting the current production rate of 1.2 was already below a forecast two per year.

Senator Wicker told The Australian last week he expected the submarine approval, which has become a bargaining tool for Republicans in the context of a broader fight over defence spending, to be granted “by the end of the year”.

The group stressed their support for the “vitally important” AUKUS agreement but expressed concern the agreement risked undermining the US fleet of attack submarines, which had fallen short of the military’s requirement of 66.

“Today, there are only 49 in the fleet. Further, as older nuclear submarines retire faster than they are replaced, the Navy projects the inventory will decline to 46 by 2030,” the letter said.

Australia has promised to make a US$3 billion contribution to the US government as part of the AUKUS agreement, to help expand US domestic submarine production, but Republicans doubt that will be enough additional funding to significantly boost production.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will meet their counterparts Penny Wong and Richard Marles in Brisbane on Friday, the first AUSMIN meeting to be hosted by Australia since 2019 when Donald Trump was president.

Along with AUKUS, the meeting is expected to included discussion about bilateral efforts to thwart China’s encroachment on Taiwan, and the two nations’ ongoing support for Ukraine in its efforts to expel Russia.

It will be the highest level meeting between the two governments since Joe Biden abruptly cancelled a scheduled trip to Australia in May in order to help Democrats negotiate an increase in the congressional debt ceiling.