The deal was foundational to the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) security pact, one of several founded by Washington in recent years in an attempt to unite Indo-Pacific nations with the US and against China.
“Almost completely overlooked in Australia is the fact that nuclear powered submarines to be acquired from the US will not be able to be operated or maintained without the supervision of the US Navy,” Turnbull wrote.
“It is surely remarkable that this abdication of Australian sovereignty was effected by the Morrison government and now, apparently, endorsed and adopted by the Albanese government,” he added.
“AUKUS is a worthwhile and natural enhancement of already intimate security and intelligence relationships but the submarine element of the agreement delays vital capabilities and diminishes Australian sovereignty,” Turnbull further said.
Australia has long rejected nuclear weapons as well as nuclear power, meaning it will be completely dependent upon the US to fuel such submarines. Further, US attack submarines use weapons-grade uranium as nuclear fuel, creating a potentially dangerous situation. Many nations have decried the deal as nuclear proliferation, including Iran, which the West has long accused of pursuing nuclear weapons, despite its official rejection of them, as justification for destructive economic sanctions, espionage, and assassinations in Iran.
Turnbull’s comments were made in response to a recent report in US media about lawmakers’ fears the deal to sell Australia Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) could cause more problems than benefits for the Pentagon.
“Over the past year, we have grown more concerned about the state of the US submarine industrial base as well as its ability to support the desired AUKUS SSN end state,” US Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) and now-retired Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) wrote in a letter to US President Joe Biden last month, which was obtained by Breaking Defense.
US Navy Virginia-class attack submarine SSN 774 USS Virginia (US Navy photo)
© US Navy photo
At the time, Reed and Inhofe were the chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Senate Armed Services Committee, but Inhofe retired when his term ended on January 3.
“We believe current conditions require a sober assessment of the facts to avoid stressing the US submarine industrial base to the breaking point,” they said.
“We are concerned that what was initially touted as a ‘do no harm’ opportunity to support Australia and the United Kingdom and build long-term competitive advantages for the US and its pacific allies, may be turning into a zero-sum game for scarce, highly advanced US SSNs,” the two wrote, adding that the US should not sell or transfer any Virginia-class submarines to Australia before it has filled the demands of the US Navy.
The Virginia-class, also known as SSN-774-class, are nuclear-powered attack submarines intended to replace the US Navy’s aging Los Angeles-class subs. The lead boat, USS Virginia, was commissioned in 2004. So far, 23 boats have been launched and another 11 are under construction at two shipyards in Newport News, Virginia, and Groton, Connecticut.
The US Navy has ordered 66 Virginia-class submarines; under the AUKUS deal, the Royal Australian Navy is set to receive eight.