The American president, Joe Biden, unveiled on Monday a spectacular military program in the Pacific, ultimately providing for a new generation of submersibles.
The world with AFP
First an important order of Australian submarines by Canberra, then the launch of a new cutting-edge submarine combining United States, United Kingdom and Australia: Joe Biden reveals a spectacular military program on Monday, March 13 In the Pacific, strongly criticized by China.
The American president, the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and the head of the Australian government, Anthony Albanese, have an appointment in a naval base in San Diego to formalize this project, which had enraged France during his Announcement eighteen months ago.
The national security advisor of the White House, Jake Sullivan, began to sketch their contours on Monday on the plane taking the American president to California.
The program will take place in three phases. First a phase of familiarization of Australia – which has no nuclear propulsion submarines, nor nuclear technology, whether military or civilian – with these devices, via the “sea training, engineers, engineers, engineers, engineers, engineers, engineers, engineers, engineers, engineers, engineers, engineers, engineers, engineers, engineers technicians, “said Jake Sullivan. He added that the objective was, during the decade, to have “deployments” of American and British submarines in Australia.
Delivery from 2030
In a second step, Australia will buy three nuclear propulsion submarines from the “Virginia” class, with an option in two additional submersible ships. The submarines must be delivered from 2030.
Finally-this is the third, and the most ambitious stage of the program-the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom will join for a new generation of submarines, baptized SSN-AUKUS, announced the national security advisor to the White House. These devices, with nuclear propulsion and conventional armaments, will involve “significant investments” in the three countries, he said.
Nuclear propulsion submarines are difficult to detect, can travel long distances for long periods and can take sophisticated cruise missiles. This program represents for the United States “a commitment to decades, and perhaps even a century,” said the advisor.
The objective, he said, is not “to go to war” but “to dissuade any conflict”. Asked several times about criticism from China, he assured that Washington had already approached the subject directly with Beijing, and did not take anyone by surprise. “We are very serene about the way we designed the alliance aukus,” said Jake Sullivan, for whom the purpose of the United States is to ensure “peace and stability in the Indo-Ou- region Pacific “.
diplomatic crisis with France
This new military partnership, very close and very ambitious, however does not only make people happy. The conclusion of the alliance aukus, with Corollaire the cancellation by Canberra of the acquisition contract of twelve French submarines, had given rise in 2021 to a diplomatic crisis with France, which had shouted at “betrayal”.