An agreement signed between the UK and Australian governments at the weekend could see a Barrow-built Astute class submarine regularly based in western Australia.
The Ministry of Defence say Richard Marles MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Australia and John Healey the Secretary of State for Defence, United Kingdom (UK) signed the bilateral Nuclear-Powered Submarine Partnership and Collaboration Treaty (the Geelong Treaty) at the UK-Australia Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Geelong in Victoria.
The Geelong Treaty commits the UK and Australia to a bilateral defence agreement under AUKUS Pillar I for the next 50 years.
The treaty will enable ‘comprehensive cooperation on the design, build, operation, sustainment, and disposal’ of SSN-AUKUS submarines.
The agreement also supports the development of the personnel, workforce, infrastructure and regulatory systems required for Australia’s SSN-AUKUS programme, as well as port visits and what the MoD says will be ‘the rotational presence of a UK Astute-class submarine at HMAS Stirling under Submarine Rotational Force – West.’
It’s claimed the agreement will build on trilateral cooperation between Australia, the UK and the United States – known as AUKUS – which is currently under review by the Trump administration in the US.
The MoD says Australia and the UK will be able to deliver a cutting-edge undersea capability through the SSN-AUKUS programme which will ‘support stability and security’ in the region as well as creating thousands of jobs.
