Number of Nuclear-Powered Submarines in Western Pacific to Double Under AUKUS

The move is aimed at countering Beijing’s ongoing military aggression.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (L), US President Joe Biden (C) and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (R) hold a press conference after a trilateral meeting during the AUKUS summit in San Diego, California on March 13, 2023. Leon Neal/Getty Images

The AUKUS alliance will result in double the amount of readily deployable nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) in the Western Pacific by mid-2030, says the Lowy Institute.

AUKUS is a trilateral partnership between Australia, the United States, and the UK, and formalises several technological and military collaborations.