Key Points
- AUKUS will be Australia's biggest-ever defence project.
- The talks will be held in San Deigo.
- San Diego is home to the US Pacific Fleet.
US President Joe Biden will host leaders of Australia and the United Kingdom in San Diego next week to chart a way forward for the provision of nuclear-powered submarines and other high-tech weaponry to Australia, sources familiar with the plans said.
The spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he will visit the United States on Monday to meet Mr Biden and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for talks on the AUKUS defence agreement.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to announce Australia's pathway to getting nuclear-powered subs in San Diego on Tuesday (AEDT) alongside Mr Biden and Mr Sunak. He'll then hold bilateral meetings with both.
"This is a joint arrangement between Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom," he told reporters on Thursday during a visit to India.
"We're great friends. We have over a century of standing side by side during peacetime and during conflict."
What's on the cards?
San Diego is home to the US Pacific Fleet and a source familiar with the planning told Reuters the trilateral summit could involve a visit to a submarine.
AUKUS will be Australia's biggest-ever defence project and offers the prospect of jobs in all three countries but it remains unclear whether it will involve a US or a UK-designed submarine, or a combination of both, or when the vessels will become operational.
Australia would have to heavily rely on America to crew nuclear submarines if it buys a number of US Virginia class vessels, a defence expert says.
Media reports suggest up to five of the American submarines will form the initial part of a landmark defence agreement between the US, UK and Australia under the AUKUS partnership.
Despite an 18-month consultation period since AUKUS was first announced, questions remain over strict US curbs on technology sharing needed for the project.
AI and hypersonic weapons' concerns
These are a particular concern for its so-called pillar two dealing with advanced technology programs such as artificial intelligence and hypersonic weapons.
Australian National University's Professor John Blaxland says the speculation "flies in the face" of his understanding of Australia's capability.
The USS Columbus, a US nuclear-powered submarine, during a South Korea-US joint military drill in 2014. A forward deployment of US nuclear-powered submarines to Australia by 2027 is on the cards. Source: AAP / YONHAP
He said having a high proportion of the crew being American would force Australia to rely on the US for a lengthy period of time.
"We will be dependent on American crewing for a long, long time," Prof Blaxland said. "Is that what we want?"
Australia to retain 'absolute sovereignty'
This is on top of an already strained US manufacturing system. "I'm sceptical because the American production line is at capacity, so we might not have any capability for years," he added.
The prime minister rejected the suggestion Australia would lose sovereign capability by becoming reliant on the US.
"Australia will retain our absolute sovereignty, 100 per cent," he said. "That's something that's respected by all of our partners as well."
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said he wanted to see submarine construction in Adelaide begin as soon as possible, with speculation Australia might prop up US production facilities to get its fleet quicker.
"We all accept there is a capability gap that needs to be addressed, particularly given the geopolitical uncertainty that exists in the Asia-Pacific region," he said.
"Nuclear submarines are the most complicated machines that have ever been produced in human history. They're more complex than the space shuttle.
"But we want to see it happen ASAP."
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham wouldn't be drawn on the speculation, but said "it's critical Australia achieves the earliest possible access to nuclear-powered submarines".
"As well as the capability to build, sustain and operate them as quickly as possible," he told AAP.
Senator Birmingham said there was a need for all three nations to work together to boost defence and industry capability.
"It's not a commercial procurement, it's a trilateral partnership to produce more and have more submarines to operate in the future," he said.
He said it was also important for the government work to cut any red tape preventing the smooth transfer of technology and skills between the three nations.
