Australia Seeks Expedited Defence Capability in US-Built Nuclear Subs

The Los Angeles-class submarine USS San Francisco from a five-month deployment in Apra Harbor, Guam, on June 4, 2004. Mark A. Leonesio/U.S. Navy via Getty Images

Australia is in discussions with the United States to speed up its acquisition of nuclear submarines in a bid to sooner have the defense vessels on hand amid the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) increasing military aggression in the Indo-Pacific.

“It’s important to get the capability as soon as we can,” a spokesperson for Defence Minister Richard Marles said. “We are still doing the consultations to set out the optimal pathway for Australia to acquire the capability.”