Australia: Strategic shifts led it to acquire nuclear subs

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s prime minister says it has canceled a contract with France for conventional submarines and instead will build nuclear-powered submarines using U.S. technology because of changing strategic conditions in the Asia-Pacific region. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says U.S. nuclear submarine technology wasn’t available to Australia in 2016 when it entered a $43 billion deal with France to build 12 conventional submarines. The U.S. has previously only shared the technology with Britain. President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday a new U.S. security alliance with Australia and Britain that will help equip Australia with a nuclear submarine fleet. The agreement would make Australia the first country without nuclear weapons to obtain nuclear-powered submarines.