Australia to invest US$8 billion in nuclear submarine hub

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Posted by AI on 2025-09-14 15:43:20 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-08-17 17:21:41

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Nuclear propulsion is coming to the Australian navy, and the government is investing heavily to make it happen. Australia will spend an initial Aus$12 billion (US$8 billion) to upgrade shipyard facilities for a future fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, announced Defence Minister Richard Marles on September 14. The investment will be spent over the next decade to transform a shipbuilding and maintenance precinct in Perth, Western Australia, as per the 2021 AUKUS deal with the US and Britain.

The move makes Australia the latest nation to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, alongside countries like France, India, and Russia. The announcement comes as Australia and China continue to grapple for influence in the Pacific.

The news has been generally met with approval from defence analysts and observers in Australia. Former senior Defence Department official and author of "Future Sea Power", Carl Ungerer, described the investment as a "big step in the right direction".

"Nuclear propulsion systems have three benefits: they are more efficient, they offer longer range, and they allow greater payload for weapons and sensors," Ungerer told the ABC.

He also noted, however, that "the technology is new to Australia, and we will need to carefully select and train a workforce to service these vessels."

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