British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps speaks on stage at Britain's Conservative Party's annual conference in Manchester, Britain, October 1, 2023. (Photo: REUTERS) |
The US, Australia and Britain in March unveiled details of the AUKUS plan to provide Australia with nuclear-powered attack submarines from the early 2030s.
Britain, which will also operate the submarines, is pivoting its foreign and defence policy towards Indo-Pacific and is also seeking trade deals with fast-growing economies there after it left the European Union.
BAE Systems said manufacturing of the submarines would start towards the end of the decade, with the first SSN-AUKUS vessel due to be delivered in the late 2030s.