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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Ben Doherty

UK defence review says Aukus is on schedule but fears remain over possible capability gap for Australia

Virginia-class USS North Carolina near Perth in  2023.
A Virginia-class USS North Carolina submarine near Perth in 2023. Any delay or cost overrun in the UK program could leave Australia with a capability gap of no submarines. Photograph: Aaron Bunch/AAP

The UK government has declared it will put the first of 12 Aukus-class submarines in the water on schedule in the late 2030s, despite its own major projects agency saying the plan to build the nuclear reactor cores needed to power the submarines is “unachievable”.

The prime minister, Keir Starmer, has released Britain’s Strategic Defence Review, which argues the Aukus submarines are critical for the UK’s defence, and declaring a landmark shift in Britain’s deterrence and defence “moving to war fighting readiness to deter threats”.

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