US Says Submarines Australia to Get Under AUKUS Will Be Nuclear-Powered, Not Nuclear-Armed

© AP Photo / Amanda GrayFILE - In this file photo provided by U.S. Navy, the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Missouri (SSN 780) departs Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a scheduled deployment in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility, Sept. 1, 2021. The foreign ministers of Malaysia and Indonesia expressed concern Monday, Oct. 18, 2021, that Australia’s plan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines from the U.S. in a security alliance may increase the rivalry of major powers in Southeast Asia
FILE - In this file photo provided by U.S. Navy, the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Missouri (SSN 780) departs Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a scheduled deployment in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility, Sept. 1, 2021. The foreign ministers of Malaysia and Indonesia expressed concern Monday, Oct. 18, 2021, that Australia’s plan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines from the U.S. in a security alliance may increase the rivalry of major powers in Southeast Asia - Sputnik International, 1920, 01.08.2022
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The submarines that Australia will get under the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) pact will be nuclear-powered, not nuclear-armed, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday.
"Some have asked about our new partnership with the United Kingdom and Australia known as AUKUS. Through this partnership, Australia will acquire submarines. I want to emphasize that these submarines will be nuclear-powered, not nuclear-armed," Blinken said at the NPT Review Conference at the United Nations in New York.
"Other countries have this kind of submarines. And these will adhere to the highest safety and Non Proliferation standards under the NPT. We're working very closely with the IEA to make sure that that's the case," he added.
A security personnel wearing a face shield and a mask to help protect from the coronavirus stands watch at the Alpine downhill venue displaying the China and United States national flags - Sputnik International, 1920, 27.07.2022
AUKUS
US Prepares to Defend AUKUS Pact From China's Criticism at Key Non-Proliferation Conference
The previous Australian government abandoned the $64 billion program to acquire up to 12 French-designed submarines. Instead, Australia reached an agreement with the United Kingdom and the United States within a trilateral security pact dubbed AUKUS. Under the pact, Washington and London pledged to help Canberra acquire nuclear-powered submarines. Former French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called the move a "stab in the back."
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