The Albanese government is not considering Japanese submarines as an alternative to AUKUS, Foreign Minister Penny Wong says amid fresh doubt Australia will get its fleet of nuclear-powered boats.
A former senior defence official proposed the idea in a report for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) published on Monday.
The report said Australia “should explore the backup option of leasing or otherwise rapidly acquiring small numbers of an advanced conventional submarine capability from Japan”, adding that the country “has a comparatively large, ‘young’, highly capable conventional submarine fleet”.
Senator Wong said it was not an option.
“We’re focused on AUKUS. AUKUS provides the capability Australia needs,” she told reporters.
“Deterrence matters. It matters for peace because it underpins stability in the region.
“This is the submarine capability Australia needs and we’re focused on delivering it.”
The $368bn pact with the UK and the US is the centrepiece of Canberra’s 21st century defence strategy.
Australia is set to get at least eight nuclear-powered submarines, including three American-made Virginia-class submarines.
Australia and the UK are jointly designing the remaining five AUKUS-class boats, which are to be built at Adelaide’s Osbourne Naval Shipyard.
But sluggish submarine production in the US have cast doubt on Washington’s ability to follow through on its commitment, while a British parliamentary inquiry last week “revealed shortcomings and failings in the delivery of AUKUS which threaten to prevent that promise becoming a reality”.
Richard Gray, who spent decades working in high level defence appointments, backed AUKUS in his ASPI report.
He said “AUKUS represents the best opportunity for Australia to acquire an essential strategic capability underpinning its future defence” but warned it had “significant cumulative risk involved”.
He argued that the plan hinged on extending the life of Australia’s ageing Collins-class fleet, the US handing over the three Virginia-class submarines and Australia building the new AUKUS-class boats.
Any disruption to that risks leaving Australia without a “sovereign submarine capability”.
“The potential capability gap that we’re describing as a risk is – in terms of submarine acquisition – an awkward one,” Mr Gray said.
“It could emerge suddenly. It’s probably too long a period for Australia to run the risk of being without an essential capability, but it isn’t a long time to acquire and operate a new class of submarine.”
He suggested Japan’s submarine offerings as a way to plug that gap.
The report came out as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hosted Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for talks in Canberra.
Energy and defence were high on the agenda.
