Australia to build nuclear submarine base on east coast

Kyodo News Posted at Mar 07 2022 12:45 PM SYDNEY - Australia will build a new submarine base on its east coast to support a future nuclear submarine fleet being acquired under a security partnership with the United States and Britain, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Monday. "Establishing a second submarine base on our east coast will enhance our strategic deterrent capability with significant advantages in operational, training, personnel and industrial terms," Morrison said in a speech to Australian think tank the Lowy Institute. Brisbane in Queensland and Newcastle and Port Kembla in New South Wales are being considered as possible locations for the estimated A$10 billion ($7.4 billion) defense facility, he said. The potential sites were chosen for their proximity to industrial infrastructure, large population centers, deep water, maritime training, and weapons storage and loading facilities, Morrison said. The new facility will serve as additional national capacity to the existing submarine base on Australia's west coast, which is set to continue operating as a base for current conventional and future submarines given its strategic importance on the Indian Ocean. In September last year, the United States, Britain and Australia established a new security framework dubbed "AUKUS," under which Australia is seeking to acquire nuclear submarines through technical cooperation with the partners.

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