Rumours that the UK is prepared to sell last two Astute’s off the production line to Australia.
https://t.co/405Qds8ESb
Could Australia jump the AUKUS submarine queue?
…However, rumours the Britain is prepared to immediately sell Australia two Astute class nuclear submarines – HMS Agamemnon and HMS Agincourt, due for completion in 2024 and 2026 – make a lot of sense for both nations, if true.…
Long term, it seems the three AUKUS partners might shift to a joint modular design and integrated production process, similar to the Joint Strike Fighter project.….
Enter the British Astute class. Given Astutes will be discontinued after the production of the sixth and seventh vessels, most analysts assumed they weren’t a viable option.
By jumping the queue, Australia helps manufacturer BAE avoid the loss of skills and production capability that occurs in a stop-start shipbuilding process.
Building nine Astutes bridges the “valley of death” between BAE completing the seventh Astute and starting work on the new UK ballistic submarines. Importantly, Australia and the UK get the subs they need, while AUKUS increases its total submarine count….