A senior Australian defense official has warned that abandoning the AUKUS submarine agreement with the United States and United Kingdom would leave the country without any operational submarines. Hugh Jeffrey, deputy secretary of the Australian Department of Defence, emphasized that the government has no alternative plan if the nuclear-powered submarines promised under the AUKUS pact fail to materialize.
Jeffrey made these remarks during a Sovereignty and Security Forum in Canberra, stating,
"Defence has been directed to pursue AUKUS and we are pursuing AUKUS and that’s our plan. I would not venture into the space about ‘Plan B’ or ‘Plan C’.
The AUKUS agreement, announced in 2021, aims to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines to enhance its naval capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. However, concerns have been raised about the feasibility and timelines of delivering these advanced vessels, amid shifting geopolitical priorities and production challenges in the U.S. and UK.
Australia’s submarine fleet, currently composed of aging Collins-class vessels, faces significant operational limitations. Without the AUKUS submarines, the country risks a strategic gap in its maritime defense capabilities, particularly as regional tensions escalate.