Australia will spend A$3.9bn to build a new shipyard for AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced, marking a major step in the trilateral defence pact with the U.S. and Britain.
Speaking on Sunday (14 February), Albanese said the funding would go towards developing the facility at Osborne in South Australia, a key site for constructing and maintaining the future submarine fleet under the security agreement unveiled in 2021. Announced in 2021, AUKUS is Australia’s largest-ever defence investment.
Under the agreement, U.S.-commanded Virginia-class submarines will be based in Australia from 2027, several will be sold to Canberra from around 2030, and a new class of nuclear-powered submarines will be jointly built by Britain and Australia.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the A$3.9 billion as a down payment to deliver the new shipyard in Osborne, a suburb of Adelaide in South Australia.
"Investing in the submarine construction yard at Osborne is critical to delivering Australia's conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines," Albanese said in a statement.
Official projections put the total cost of the build at A$30bn over the coming decades, he said.
Osborne is where Australia's ASC and Britain's BAE Systems will jointly build Australia's fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, the core component of the AUKUS pact.
Until that work begins later this decade, the shipyard is where much of the maintenance on the country's existing Collins-class submarine fleet is carried out.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said the down payment would be spent on building the enabling infrastructure for the shipyard.
"This is just the beginning," Malinauskas said in a statement.
In December, a Pentagon review of the AUKUS project found areas of opportunity to put the deal on the "strongest possible footing," including ensuring that Australia is moving fast enough to build its nuclear submarine capacity.
U.S. President Donald Trump has denied reports that he offered Iran sanctions relief and access to frozen funds in exchange for nuclear concessions...
Saudi Arabia is facing a widening security challenge from Yemen as Houthi forces consolidate recent territorial gains along the Red Sea coast and s...
Here’s your AnewZ Daily Brief for 29 September 2026, with the latest from Azerbaijan, from $10.8 billion in investment deals and Formula 1 dr...
A Russian guided aerial bomb has struck an apartment building in Kharkiv, injuring 22 people, including children, according to the city’s mayor. The strike follows a day of near-continuous Russian attacks across Ukraine that killed at least five people.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 28 September 2026. These are the top stories making headlines in technology.
British police have arrested five men on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act after a major security incident was declared near RAF Fairford, a British air base used by U.S. air forces in Gloucestershire, England.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has arrived in Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral ties and key regional and international developments, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić resigned on Sunday, ending his second and final five-year term and paving the way for an early presidential election as the country prepares for a snap parliamentary vote on 25 October.
Here’s your AnewZ Daily Brief for 29 September 2026, with the latest from Azerbaijan, from $10.8 billion in investment deals and Formula 1 drama to diplomacy and preparations for major FIFA tournaments.
Crude oil exports from major Middle Eastern producers rebounded in September to their highest level since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began in late February, according to data from analytics firm Kpler.
Russian strikes hit Kyiv and Ukraine’s Black Sea region of Odesa overnight into Tuesday, damaging infrastructure and civilian sites, while Moscow said it had also targeted vessels carrying military cargo.
British police are investigating whether individuals linked to a foreign state were involved in an apparent plot targeting RAF Fairford, a British airbase used by the United States, while five suspects arrested in connection with the case are being released on bail.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that more than 8,000 North Korean troops are currently in Russia, with preparations under way to send another 10,000.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment