Australia to buy nuclear-powered submarines made in the US

By ZEKE MILLER and AAMER MADHANI
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Australia will purchase U.S.-manufactured, nuclear-powered attack submarines to modernize its fleet. That’s according to a European official and two people familiar with the matter on Thursday. The purchase agreement comes amid growing concerns about China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region. The agreement will be announced Monday when President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meet in San Diego for talks on the 18-month-old nuclear partnership known by the acronym AUKUS. The submarines cost $3 billion each and are built at shipbuilding plants in Virginia and Connecticut. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter ahead of the announcement.