Summary: The AUKUS pact, a strategic alliance between the US, UK, and Australia, is designed to counter Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific by equipping Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. Despite concerns over the US's capacity to support this initiative due to stretched resources and limits on Virginia-class submarines production, Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Mara Karlin affirmed the US's commitment and capability to back the AUKUS effort. AUKUS aims to strengthen undersea capabilities among the allies and ensure regional security, aligning with the US's National Defense Strategy.

AUKUS and Nuclear Submarines for Australia 

The trilateral AUKUS pact is a diplomatic and strategic win for the United States. Through the pact, Washington commits to helping Australia field nuclear-powered submarines capable of countering the Chinese threat in the Indo-Pacific. 

Yet with resources spread thin, and considering the decision to limit the production of Virginia-class submarines, observers are wondering whether the U.S. can materially contribute to the AUKUS submarine-building effort. Mara Karlin, deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, says yes.

Testifying before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces last October, Karlin said that AUKUS, and countering China, will be a top priority.

“What is so historic and so generational about this AUKUS effort, is that we are bringing together a very close ally from the Indo-Pacific, a very close ally from Europe, [and] we’re making sure all three have the most capable on undersea capabilities and we going to be able to operate together to help ensure a secure and safe Indo-Pacific,” Karlin said. 

The impetus behind AUKUS is the increasing Chinese aggression in the region, which Karlin called unsafe and unprofessional.

“That’s really problematic,” Karlin said. “And knitting together these three countries to really show how much we care about security and stability in the region is crucial.”

Yes, but can the U.S. materially support the effort to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines? According to Karlin, the U.S. submarine industrial base “can and will” support AUKUS. Karlin elaborated, stating that AUKUS will allow the U.S. to enhance its industrial base and contribute to an integrated deterrence that directly supports the country’s National Defense Strategy.

AUKUS Explained

AUKUS is a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Announced in September 2021, AUKUS is designed to assist Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines. The arrangement should also include cooperation on advanced cyber mechanisms, artificial intelligence and autonomy, quantum technologies, undersea capabilities, hypersonic, counter-hypersonic, electronic warfare, and information-sharing. 

Basically, the Western powers are trying to prop up Australia as a capable, Western-aligned bulwark against Chinese revisionism in the Indo-Pacific.

China, currently engaged in one of history’s most ambitious shipbuilding sprees, has been making increasingly aggressive territorial claims throughout the Indo-Pacific. The U.S., eager to maintain influence in the region and temper China’s rise, is expected to further deputize regional partners to assist in the effort, and enable them to do so effectively. Australia, a continent-sized country in Oceania, is well situated to buttress against Chinese expansion.

The first pillar of AUKUS collaboration is helping Australia get nuclear submarines. At present, only six countries have nuclear submarines, which can operate indefinitely without the need for refueling. These include China, France, Russia, the UK, the US, and India. Bringing Australia into the fold would help the West counter China’s capabilities in the region – without having to commit Western submarines to the region indefinitely.

China, understandably, condemned the agreement, stating that “the nuclear submarine cooperation between the US, the UK, and Australia has seriously undermined regional peace and stability, intensified the arms race and undermined international non-proliferation efforts,” and adding that “the three countries should discard the Cold War zero-sum mentality and narrow geopolitical perspective.”

About the Author: Harrison Kass 

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.