Australia, United States and United Kingdom team up for a new generation of submarines

Five Virginia-class submarines (pictured) will be built for Australia before it along with the UK and US work together to design a new generation of submarines.

© Amanda Gray/AP

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First a large order for Australian submarines by Canberra, then the launch of a new state-of-the-art submarine combining the United States, United Kingdom and Australia: Joe Biden unveils a spectacular military program in the Pacific on Monday.

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The US President, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are meeting at a naval base in San Diego to formalize this project.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan began sketching the outlines on Monday aboard the plane taking the US president to California.

The program will take place in three phases.

 He said the goal was to have American and British submarine "

 deployments

" in Australia during the decade .

In a second step, Australia will buy three American nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarines, with an option on two additional submersible vessels.

The submarines must be delivered from 2030.

Third step: the SSN-AUKUS

Finally, the third - and most ambitious stage of the program - the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom will join forces for a new generation of submarines, dubbed SSN-AUKUS, announced the adviser to the White House National Security.

These devices, nuclear-powered and conventionally armed, will involve "

 significant investments

 " in the three countries, he said.

Nuclear-powered submarines are difficult to detect, can travel great distances for long periods of time, and can carry sophisticated cruise missiles.

This program represents for the United States “

 a commitment over decades, and perhaps even a century

 ,” the adviser said.

The objective, he assured, is not “

 to go to war

 ”, but “ 

to deter any conflict 

”.

China criticizes the alliance

Asked repeatedly about criticism of China, he assured that Washington had already raised the subject directly with Beijing, and took no one by surprise.

This new military partnership, very close and very ambitious, does not, however, only make people happy.

The conclusion of the Aukus alliance, with the corollary of Canberra's cancellation of the contract for the acquisition of 12 French submarines, had given rise in 2021 to

a diplomatic crisis

with France, which had cried "

 treason

 ".

The indignation of France gave way to criticism of China, engaged with the United States in a

fierce economic and strategic rivalry

.

"

 We call on the United States, Britain and Australia to abandon the Cold War mentality and zero-sum games

 " and "

 do more things to encourage regional peace and stability

 ", had said Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for China's Foreign Ministry, ahead of Monday's announcements.

►Also read: Focus - "Aukus only aims to be in a position of strength against China"

(With AFP)

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