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The prime minister has declared Australia will maintain "100 per cent sovereignty" over its future nuclear-powered submarines as multiple leaks from both the United Kingdom and United States suggest two types of boats will be acquired under the AUKUS partnership.
- The leaders of the US, UK and Australia will join together on Monday to announce the next stage of the AUKUS submarine deal
- Leaks to international media overseas suggest Australia will buy US Virginia-class subs as a stopgap measure
- The AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines are expected to be a modified version of UK's design
Numerous media reports from both sides of the Atlantic, citing American and British officials, say Australia will buy the US-designed Virginia-class submarine as a stopgap, and then a future UK-designed boat under a multi-billion-dollar deal.
According to news outlets including Reuters, Bloomberg, the Guardian and the Wall Street Journal, Australia's "optimal pathway" will first involve the rotation of US nuclear submarines to this country beginning from as early as 2027.
The AUKUS plan to be unveiled in San Diego on Monday will involve the US agreeing to supply Australia submarines from its own fleet or construction schedule, as America's two production lines ramp up work to meet local demand.
"In the early 2030s, Australia would buy three Virginia-class submarines and have the option to buy two more," international news wire Reuters reported, citing two anonymous officials.
Speaking in India, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese would not comment on the specifics in the reports but confirmed he would soon meet with US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to unveil the full details of the AUKUS arrangement.
"On Monday, there will be a meeting of the AUKUS partners — between myself, President Biden and Prime Minister Sunak. In addition, in the United States, I will be having bilateral meetings with President Biden and Prime Minister Sunak," he said.
"Australia will retain, absolutely, our sovereignty — absolute sovereignty, 100 per cent. it is very important [for] Australia, as a sovereign nation state — and that's something that's respected by all of our partners as well."
The longer-term AUKUS submarines are widely expected to be a modified version of the UK's next-generation Astute-class submarine known as SSNR, which is currently being designed.
The vessels would be assembled in Adelaide and include American technology, in line with Defence Minister Richard Marles' repeated assurances that the AUKUS submarine project will be a truly "trilateral" endeavour.
"It is difficult to overstate the step that, as a nation, we are about to take," Mr Marles told parliament.
"Australia will become just the seventh country to have the ability to operate a nuclear-powered submarine. We have never operated a military capability at this level before."