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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Ben Doherty

Surface tension: could the promised Aukus nuclear submarines simply never be handed over to Australia?

Aukus submarines composite against the backdrop of an Australian flag
A paper from the US Congress Research Service says the navy shipbuilding rate is so anaemic that the US could choose not to hand the Virginia-class submarines to Australia when built. Illustration: Guardian Design

Maybe Australia’s boats just never turn up.

To fanfare and flags, the Aukus deal was presented as a sure bet, papering over an uncertainty that such an ambitious deal could ever be delivered.

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