On the face of the announcements made so far, the deal complies with international law, despite accusations to the contrary from China and other critics.
The first AUKUS-class submarine will be delivered in the 2040s. We may only get about a decade of use before adversaries can easily detect the new boats.
A Collins class submarine in a training exercise off the coast of the Northern Territory.
Aaron Bunch/AAP
The long-awaited plan for Australia to get nuclear-powered submarines is expected next month, as are recommendations from a major strategic review into our defence force.
Australians are becoming more fearful in an insecure world, and want to see the country armed up, favouring more defence spending and the planned acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines.
While all eyes are on China’s response to the new AUKUS security pact, Russia matters, too. After all, it has its own nuclear submarines that could now be marketed all over the region.
INDONESIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS/HANDOUT/EPA
The submarine announcement is sure to trigger a new round of debate on whether nuclear energy is right for Australia. But let’s be clear: the technology makes no sense for Australia.
Nuclear submarines are powered by a miniature onboard fission reactor. They can go for decades without refuelling, making them faster, stealthier and much more expensive than conventional submarines.
Nuclear-powered submarines do not need to surface for air, allowing them to be stealthier for longer. But there’s still a million-dollar question: does this make us safer?