Australia, UK hail ‘progress’ on nuclear subs deal

Australia’s bid to acquire nuclear-powered submarines is making “significant progress,” the country said Thursday in a joint statement with Britain after a virtual summit between their leaders.

US and British experts are now in Australia to advise on the project — announced in September under a new Australia-Britain-US defense alliance, AUKUS — they said after talks between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and British leader Boris Johnson.

Australia says it plans to arm the submarines with conventional weapons but has yet to decide on the details of the program, including whether to opt for a fleet based on US or British nuclear-powered attack submarines.

Forged at a time of growing Chinese influence in the Pacific region, the AUKUS alliance would make Australia the only non-nuclear weapons power with nuclear-powered submarines, capable of traveling long distances without surfacing.