Australians Already Started Training On UK, US Nuclear-Powered Submarines

Australians have started training on UK and US nuclear-powered submarines, Australia's Department of Defense said in a statement.

On Monday, the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (AUKUS) agreed to supply Australia with conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines much faster than originally planned.

"Australians have already commenced training and working on UK and US nuclear-powered submarines and in UK and US facilities," the Department of Defense said.

It said the program will create around 20,000 direct jobs over the next 30 years across industry, the Australian Defense Force and the Australian Public Service.

Australia, the US and the UK announced the AUKUS defense partnership in September 2021. The first initiative announced under the AUKUS pact was the development of nuclear-powered submarine technology for the Royal Australian Navy, which prompted the Australian government to abandon a $66 billion agreement with France's Naval Group company for the construction of diesel-electric submarines.