Defence Minister Richard Marles has said there is “no doubt” the AUKUS submarine deal will place pressure on US defence industries and the new military alliance will require Australia’s entire industrial base.
“That’s why it’s so important that Australia develops its own industrial capability to build nuclear-powered submarines, which we will do in Adelaide.” Marles added that Australia would need to strengthen the local defence economy “in order to contribute to the net industrial base of the three countries of the United States, the United Kingdom, and ourselves”.
“Over the past year, we have grown more concerned about the state of the US submarine industrial base as well as its ability to support the desired AUKUS SSN [nuclear submarine] end state,” Reed and Inhofe said in their letter to the White House,“We believe current conditions require a sober assessment of the facts to avoid stressing the US submarine industrial base to the breaking point.”