Nuclear Submarine Deal Lurks Below Surface Of Australian Election

Sydney, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Apr, 2025) A landmark security pact to overhaul Australia's navy with American muscle faces growing scepticism, stoked by its eyewatering cost and growing distrust of US President Donald Trump.

But the sweeping deal, which will see Australia buy nuclear-powered submarines from the United States, is just about the only thing not up for debate ahead of Saturday's closely fought election.

Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom signed the AUKUS agreement to great fanfare in 2021, joining forces in a multi-decade effort to balance China's military might.

AUKUS commits Washington, London and Canberra to the joint development of cyber warfare tools, artificial intelligence and hypersonic missiles.

A key feature is for Australia to acquire a fleet of cutting-edge nuclear-powered submarines from the United States.

Government forecasts estimate the submarine programme alone could cost Australia up to US$235 billion over the next 30 years -- one of its biggest-ever defence investments.

The price, as well as Trump's return as commander-in-chief and his "America-first" foreign policy, has critics questioning the agreement.

"AUKUS is a terrible deal. It is so unfair to Australia," former conservative prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said earlier this year.

"(Trump) will be thinking: who are these dumb guys who agreed to this?"

But both left-leaning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his conservative challenger Peter Dutton are adamant that -- whoever wins the May 3 poll -- AUKUS is here to stay.

It is almost the sole area of agreement between two leaders with wildly different views on everything from climate change to immigration.

"What we need is certainty, what we need is bipartisanship on issues of defence policy," Albanese said on the campaign trail this month.