Australia is set to become one of seven nations that operate nuclear-powered submarines as soon as the early 2030s.
This news follows Australia entering into a partnership with the UK and the US in September 2021 to form a national enterprise, AUKUS, which aims to deliver long-term strategic benefits and strengthen the combined industrial capacity of the three AUKUS partners.
AUKUS’ ‘Optimal Pathway’ aims to achieve the construction and delivery of SSN-AUKUS as an “enduring nuclear-powered submarine capability for Australia”, as reported by the Australian Government’s submarine agency (ASA).
The Optimal Pathway includes elevating all three nations’ industrial capacity to produce and sustain advanced and interoperable nuclear-powered submarines for decades to come, as well as expand its individual and collective undersea presence in the Indo-Pacific and contribute to global security and stability in the region.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) says although there has been change in government across all three nations since AUKUS was announced, the initiative continues to receive bipartisan support.
For example, all three partners signed a trilateral AUKUS treaty in August 2024, which came into effect at the beginning of this year.
In February 2025, following the election of US President Donald Trump, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that the president was aware and supportive of AUKUS, and also recognised the importance of the defense industrial base.
However, last week, the UK Parliament Defence Committee launched an inquiry into AUKUS to find out if the program remains on track, as well as if there is sufficient clarity about how it will be delivered.
The Defence Committee Chairman Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi says the inquiry will examine whether the partnership is on track and will consider the impact of geopolitical shifts since the initial deal was signed in 2021.
“The inquiry will examine the progress made against each of the two pillars and ask how any challenges could be addressed,” the chairman says.
The ASPI says regarding the cost risk it is not orders of magnitude higher than the ill-fated conventional attack-class submarine project.
In last year’s federal budget, the Australian Government included funds in the defence allocation to cover expected costs of acquiring nuclear-powered submarines over the next decade.
ASPI says while the overall defence budget remains a significant concern, this measure has been an important step in mitigating the cost risks of AUKUS.
Meanwhile, regarding schedule risks, ASPI says the Collins-class vessels are already beyond their intended service life. This means the entire plan hinges on the Virginias arriving on time — or at least only slightly delayed.
Under the initial deal, the US intends to sell Australia three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines. Australia has the option to seek approval for up to two more if needed.
Nuclear power, which comes from energy that is released in the process of nuclear fission, is used mainly for electricity generation. Nuclear is considered the world’s second largest source of low-carbon power.
More than 50 countries use nuclear energy in about 220 research reactors, according to the World Nuclear Association. In parallel with research, these reactors are used for producing medical and industrial isotopes, alongside training.
Industrial isotopes are unstable forms of elements that emit radiation and are used across various industrial applications, including non-destructive testing, gauging, and process monitoring.
Most nuclear power plants use enriched uranium as its fuel to produce electricity. The World Nuclear Association reports that about two-thirds of the global uranium production comes from mines in Kazakhstan, Canada, and Australia.
In 2022, Kazakhstan produced the largest share of uranium from mines, accounting for 43% of the global supply. Meanwhile, Canada produced the second largest, accounting for 15% followed by Namibia with 11%.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Royal Navy
