The United States provides Australia with Nuclear Submarines: Expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific Region

Oct 20

Oct 20 The United States provides Australia with Nuclear Submarines: Expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific Region

The United States has promised nuclear-powered submarines to Australia in a deal that makes clear its biggest concern is the rapid economic and military development of China, as the US fights to maintain its role as the head of the international order.

On 15th September, the US joined a trilateral security agreement called AUKUS promising nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. The deal promises to deliver the technology to allow Australia to produce these submarines which are stealthier, have longer and deeper ranges and are at the forefront of weapons development. The new technology would allow the submarines to be submerged and patrolling within the Indo-Pacific region for months at a time. Furthermore, the submarines would not need to be refuelled for over 30 years. Both the US and the UK emphasise that the deal would not be providing nuclear weapons technology to Australia in accordance with the non-proliferation treaty.

Before this trilateral deal, the US had only shared its nuclear submarine technology with the UK, arguably the country’s most trusted ally. US President Joe Biden stated that the purpose of this trilateral agreement was to guarantee ‘peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific over the long term’ and to ensure that each country involved in the deal has the power to defend itself from evolving threats. This statement sets out Biden’s intentions to extend the influence of the US and its allies in the Indo-Pacific region in direct opposition to China. These two countries have felt an increasing tension and competition over the past few decades but recently have been clashing over human rights issues, cybersecurity, and trade issues. The submarines will significantly expand Australia’s, and in turn the US’ and the UK’s, military reach in the region.

Throughout the past few decades, China has been trying to expand its own influence in the Indo-Pacific region. China continues to invest in infrastructure in Pacific islands through its belt and road initiative. This initiative, which has been a red flag for many Western countries for years now, clearly defines China’s intentions to expand its regional and global influence. Furthermore, China has placed several trade sanctions on Australia, further positioning the AUKUS members against the regional power. These initiatives, among others, have now pushed the US to a point where the country feels it is necessary to escalate the competition between the two powers.

This deal is controversial for three main reasons. Firstly, it marks the US increasing their weapons reach and capacity to combat China in a very public agreement. The public nature of this escalation might mean that it will be the first of many deals that accelerates the arms race between the US and China. Furthermore, it demonstrates that the US does not feel the need to hide its efforts to compete with China’s military capacity. The Chinese government was quick to denounce the deal, saying that the agreement intensifies the international arms race between the US and China and undermines non-proliferation efforts.

Secondly, the deal marks a significant change in US policy towards sharing nuclear information. The nuclear-powered submarines, while not technologically resembling a nuclear weapon - that would fall under the non-proliferation treaty - they do contain nuclear material and require significant amounts of nuclear knowledge to build. The US policy has always been to minimise highly enriched uranium (HEU) use and sharing so this decision marks a significant change in attitude. This arguably radical decision demonstrating the US is willing to break 60 years of operational standards and policy, demonstrates the country’s awareness of the increasing gravity of the China conflict.

Lastly, this deal is controversial because the US has gone against their close ally, France, in brokering the agreement for the submarines. France had agreed to supply Australia with submarines (non-nuclear) about five years ago. The deal was valued at approximately $66 billion (£48 billion) and now leaves France in a significant deficit. The French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian released a statement saying that a deal like this is not something done between allies, that the American decision to exclude France from the agreement marked a lack of respect for multilateralism, and that the decision was ‘a knife in the back’. France then cancelled a defence meeting to be held with the UK later that week. The willingness of the US to go behind the back of one of their close allies clearly marks the growing competition against China as one of Biden’s top priorities. Most experts agree that the deal will not do long-term damage to the relationship between the US and the European Union, but it continues to set the precedent that the country is an increasingly unreliable actor in its policy decisions. As the US continues to step up their competition with China, this might be the first of many decisions that intensify the arms race in the Indo-Pacific region.