WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th December, 2022) The United States, the United Kingdom and Australia have made exceptional progress toward the development of Canberra's first nuclear-powered submarine as part of their AUKUS partnership, the group said on Wednesday.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hosted Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles - who also serves as Defense Minister - and UK Secretary of State for Defense Ben Wallace at the Pentagon to discuss the AUKUS security partnership, according to a joint statement.
"The Secretary of Defense, Deputy Prime Minister, and Secretary of State for Defence reviewed the significant progress to date on the trilateral effort to support Australia's acquisition of conventionally-armed, nuclear powered submarines," the joint statement said.
The officials highlighted progress that has been made on trilateral efforts to identify the optimal path toward acquisition of a conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarine by Australia at the earliest possible date, the joint statement said.
The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister expressed their confidence in continued progress as the 18-month consultation period regarding naval nuclear propulsion comes to a close, the joint statement said.
The optimal pathway is expected to be announced by the nations' leadership in early 2023, the statement added.
The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister also reiterated their shared commitment to upholding the highest standards for nuclear nonproliferation and welcomed engagement by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the statement said.
