Australia revealed plans to build a new naval base that will maintain and resupply nuclear submarines from the United States and the United Kingdom, in addition to improving its security defenses in the Indo-Pacific region, at a time when the West is looking to counter Chinese maritime expansion.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Monday that the base will be located on the country’s east coast. Along with supporting Australia’s “new nuclear-powered submarines” and creating more “deployment opportunities in” the Indian and Pacific oceans, the base will allow “regular visits” from U.S. and U.K. nuclear submarines, according to a press release from Morrison’s office.
“Australia faces a difficult and dangerous security environment and we must continue to invest in growing the capability of our ADF to ensure we keep Australians safe,” Morrison said in the press release.
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Australia’s defense department will “engage with state and local governments to determine the optimal site, which will be informed by the ongoing work of the Nuclear Powered Submarine Taskforce. This initial work is expected to be completed by the end of 2023,” the press release continues.
Morrison said Australia is earmarking $7.4 billion in funds for facilities and infrastructure for the submarines, including the base, according to the Wall Street Journal.
“Establishing a second submarine base on our east coast will enhance our strategic deterrent capability, with significant advantages in operational, training, personnel and industrial terms,” Morrison said.
Australia decided in September to obtain nuclear submarine technology from both the U.S. and the U.K. as part of an effort to bolster security alliances that would allow the three nations to resist China’s influence. Beijing criticized the deal as having “seriously undermined regional peace and stability, intensified the arms race, and undermined international nonproliferation efforts.”
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“Under our AUKUS partnership with the United States and the United Kingdom we will have access to the best technology in the world,” Morrison said in the press release, adding that it would allow the nations to “deter threats” within the Indo-Pacific region.
Through the agreement, the three nations will also have the ability to “promote deeper information and technology sharing,” along with encouraging “deeper integration of security and defense-related science, technology, industrial bases, and supply chains,” according to a joint statement released Sept. 15 by the White House.
