No Subs If Aukus Deal Abandoned, Warns Top Aussie Defense Exec

Australia will be left with no submarines if it abandons the Aukus deal with the US and UK, a senior defense official has warned, declining to publicly consider an alternative plan if Australia's promised nuclear-powered fleet does not arrive under Australian command.

"Defense has been directed to pursue Aukus and we are pursuing Aukus and that's our plan. I would not venture into the space about 'Plan B' or 'Plan C'," defense department deputy secretary, Hugh Jeffrey, told a Sovereignty and Security Forum in Canberra on Friday.

The comments come after former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull asked the defense official what Australia would do if the promised Virginia-class and Aukus-class submarines don't arrive. Jeffrey declined to entertain that scenario, insisting the government's focus is on delivering the nuclear-powered fleet under the Aukus partnership.

The Aukus agreement, announced in 2021, will see the US and UK help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines, a major capability shift for the country. But the program has faced delays and cost overruns, leading to concerns about whether the promised subs will materialize on time.

Jeffrey's comments underscored the government's commitment to Aukus, even as questions mount about the feasibility and timeline of the submarine program. Australia currently operates a fleet of six conventionally-powered Collins-class submarines, which are scheduled to be retired in the 2030s.

Without the Aukus subs, Australia would be left without any underwater capability, a prospect defense officials are clearly unwilling to entertain. The government has invested heavily in the Aukus deal, seeing it as crucial to bolstering the country's strategic deterrence in the face of China's military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.