AUKUS Submarine Deal Shifts: Australia to Acquire Three Second-Hand Virginia-Class Vessels
Australia’s ambitious AUKUS defence pact has seen a significant pivot in its submarine acquisition strategy. The initial plan to receive two used and one new Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the United States by 2032 has been revised. Now, all three submarines slated for acquisition will be second-hand. Defence Minister Richard Marles has championed this change, highlighting substantial cost savings and a simplification of fleet training and maintenance as key benefits.
These Virginia-class vessels are intended to serve as a crucial stopgap measure, bolstering the Royal Australian Navy’s capabilities while Australia awaits the arrival of its own purpose-built AUKUS-class nuclear-powered submarines, projected to begin entering service around 2042. While some defence analysts have voiced concerns, questioning whether the reliance on older submarines might compromise Australia’s naval prowess, others argue that this move could indeed work to Australia’s advantage.
Understanding the “Age” of the Submarines
Under the original AUKUS agreement, the United States was set to supply Australia with two “used but refurbished” Block IV Virginia-class submarines. The third vessel was envisioned as a brand-new Virginia-class submarine, fresh off the production line. However, the revised plan streamlines the procurement process, ensuring all three submarines will be of the “same type.”
Minister Marles emphasised the profound significance of this uniformity, stating, “I cannot overstate the significance of that, both in terms of the submariners who are operating them, but also the people who are working on them to sustain those submarines.”
Marcus Hellyer, head of research at the defence think tank Strategic Analysis Australia, noted the considerable apprehension surrounding the acquisition of older vessels. However, he pointed out that the Block IV submarines only began entering service between 2020 and 2026, with the remainder of the US fleet set for completion by next year.
“These are the boats the US is currently finishing, so they’re not old in a sense of old,” Dr Hellyer explained. “They’re just old in that they will already have been in service.”
The average operational lifespan for Block IV Virginia-class submarines is approximately 33 years. The first of these submarines is anticipated to arrive in Australia in 2032, with subsequent vessels to be delivered at intervals until 2038. According to the AUKUS plan detailed by the government in 2023, the first two submarines will undergo refurbishment before delivery, retaining an estimated 23 years of operational life.
“They will be 10 years old maybe, which for a boat with a 30 to 35-year life span, we’re not talking about old clunkers that are at the end of their life,” Dr Hellyer added, contextualising their age within their projected service life.
What Capabilities Does Australia Truly Need?
The Virginia-class submarines represent the latest generation of nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines currently in service with the US Navy. The Block IV variants were specifically developed to replace the aging Los Angeles-class submarines. These submarines are engineered for a diverse array of missions, encompassing anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, and strike operations utilising Tomahawk cruise missiles. A key enhancement in the Block IV models is their improved acoustic stealth, making them significantly more difficult for adversary forces to detect.
Jennifer Parker, a maritime security expert at The Australian National University National Security College, remarked, “The Block IV is arguably the best submarine in the world right now.”
The third, new submarine Australia had initially planned to acquire from the US was expected to be either a Block V or Block VII Virginia-class. A notable characteristic of the Block V is its increased length, which accommodates a larger number of launch cells for weapons like Tomahawk cruise missiles.
“There is a big difference in terms of the land attack capability, because Block V has 40 cells against only 12,” Dr Hellyer stated.
However, he suggested that this enhanced land attack capability was not necessarily a priority for Australia. He posited that such a capability was more relevant to America, given its frequent deployment of cruise missiles.
Beyond offensive capabilities, submarines are vital for intelligence and reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare, and the insertion of special forces. “The biggest tasks for Australian submarines … regardless of what type of submarine we’re talking about, is submarine warfare,” Dr Hellyer asserted. “So to find and kill the other guys’ submarines.”
Ms Parker, a former naval officer, concurred that a submarine with an extensive land-attack missile capacity was not a primary requirement for Australia. “If I was actually looking at how we employ these submarines, I would be employing them predominantly in the Pacific and the Indian Ocean in an anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare role,” she explained. “So to find and sink warships and for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.”
In 2023, Vice Admiral Bill Houston, the US commander of submarine forces, indicated that the new Virginia-class submarines being sold to Australia would likely be Block VII models. Ms Parker noted that limited information is available about this variant, other than it does not possess the extended payload length.
“That was almost a mythical submarine, the design of which doesn’t exist and they haven’t started building it,” she commented. “We always thought that the third submarine would be a new build, but beyond that we never actually knew what capabilities it would have.”
Timing and Potential Risks
In the interim period before the AUKUS fleet becomes operational, Australia is extending the service life of its 30-year-old Collins-class submarines, keeping the six vessels operational for an additional decade. Minister Marles highlighted the logistical complexities that would have arisen from operating multiple submarine classes simultaneously.
“We had the prospect … of almost having four classes of submarines operating at the same time — the last of the Collins class, two in-service Virginias, a brand new Virginia, and a brand new SSN-AUKUS. That gets pretty complicated,” he said. “What we will have here is a simpler pathway.”
Ms Parker views the decision to operate three identical Virginia-class submarines as a positive development, arguing it simplifies training and maintenance. “When you look at operating the same type of boat with the same type of systems on board, that means you reduce the workforce needed for the training,” she stated. “I actually think this is a much more positive development.”
The primary drawback of acquiring second-hand vessels is the reduced timeframe available for their operational deployment. Ms Parker acknowledged this could become an issue if there are significant delays in the delivery of the first AUKUS-class submarines.
Australia is expected to commission its first AUKUS-class submarine in the early 2040s, with subsequent vessels planned for delivery every three years until the final three are completed in the 2060s.
“The first Virginia will probably retire in the early 50s and the next one in the mid-50s,” Dr Hellyer projected. “We have to remember that in the big picture of AUKUS, the Virginias are only a kind of transition stage … they’re not a long-term solution.”
