Category: AUKUS

Beijing Claims UN Nuclear Watchdog’s Report on AUKUS ‘Lopsided’

Beijing has panned the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog for giving a positive assessment of the progress of the AUKUS deal so far. “The Agency, on the basis of technical consultations and exchanges it has conducted with the AUKUS parties to date, is satisfied with the level of their engagement,” according to a report from the…


Purchase of Nuclear-Powered Subs Won’t Spark Nuclear Weapons Development in Australia: Expert

The acquisition of nuclear submarines will not lead to Australia developing nuclear weapons, according to a nuclear engineering expert from Australia’s University of New South Wales (UNSW). The comments come after, in September 2021, Australia signed a trilateral security pact with the United States and United Kingdom (AUKUS), the first major initiative of which is…


UN Nuclear Watchdog Scrutinising AUKUS Submarine Safeguards

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong has reaffirmed the country’s commitment to nuclear non-proliferation after a meeting with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on July 4. Rafael Grossi, head of the IAEA, was in Adelaide, where he met with the Australian foreign minister to discuss the international security environment, nuclear proliferation risks…


‘Extremely Optimistic’: Nuclear-Powered Subs in Australian Waters by 2030

Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says he is “optimistic in the extreme” that a 2030 deadline for new nuclear-powered submarines will be met. This is despite Marles—also the country’s defence minister—claiming earlier that under the previous government’s deadline, the submarines would be available in the late 2040s. “I think the truth of where the…


Having Australian Nuclear Subs Operational By 2030 is ‘Extremely Optimistic’ Says Defence Minister

Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has said he believes the 2030 deadline for the country to have nuclear subs in our waters is “optimistic in the extreme.” Marles who is also Australia’s defence minister said that he believed the deadline set by the previous Australian government was in the 2040’s rather than 2030. “I…


Canada Should Recognize Taiwan as a Sovereign State, Says Tory Leadership Candidate Scott Aitchison

Conservative leadership candidate and MP Scott Aitchison says it’s important to recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state, and that the “One China” policy has been a “failure.” “Taiwan is a vibrant democracy right next door to the behemoth communist regime of China. They’re constantly under [the regime’s] bully tactics and threats, and yet, that’s a…


Australia, United Kingdom, United States, and Now Japan?

Commentary I try to always call balls and strike fairly with the Biden Team. Although creating or being entrapped in one mess after another, usually enabled by their froward and wanton ideology separated from common sense, logic, and reality, the Australian, United Kingdom, and United States (AUKUS) Trilateral Security Pact is a brilliant move and…


US to Train Australian Nuclear Submariners

Lawmakers are clearing the way for Australian naval officers to receive the “highest standard” of training in U.S. Naval technology and establish the crew of the country’s future nuclear-powered submarine fleet. Republican and Democrat members of the AUKUS Working Group introduced the Australia-U.S. Submarine Officer Pipeline Act on June 15. “Our bill will authorize an…


Australian Federal Government to Pay $830 Million Over Scrapped Subs Deal

Australia will pay French company Naval Group about $830 million (US$588 million) to settle a scrapped defence contract that would have seen it build submarines in South Australia. Australia’s fleet of Collins submarines were going to be replaced by a conventional fleet constructed by Naval Group but that deal was abandoned by the Morrison government,…


Australia’s Defence Minister Denies Coalition Compensation Allegation

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles has rejected the suggestions that the coalition was anywhere near agreeing to a compensation package with France after Australia abandoned its submarine contract last year. On Saturday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed Australia will pay French company Naval Group about $830 million to settle the scrapped $90 billion defence contract….