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President Biden announced on Monday that the US will sell at least three nuclear-powered attack submarines to Australia amid fears over China’s recent military buildup.
The sale of the sophisticated underwater craft was announced by Biden during an event in San Diego with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The three nations had previously announced in 2021 that they would enter the so-called AUKUS nuclear partnership — an acronym for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States – that would allow Australia to purchase the stealthier and more capable nuclear-powered subs from the US to counter China.
“These boats will not have any nuclear weapons of any kind of them,” Biden, 80, stressed during his remarks at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego, with the nuclear-powered USS Missouri and the USS Charlotte submarines docked behind him.
Albanese said the sub sale “represents the biggest single investment in Australia’s defense capability in all of our history.”
“This is the first time in 65 years and only the second time in history that the United States has shared its nuclear propulsion technology.
