(Aboard Air Force One) First a major order of Australian submarines by Canberra, then the launch of a new state-of-the-art submarine combining the United States, United Kingdom and Australia: Joe Biden unveils Monday a spectacular military program in the Pacific, strongly criticized by China.
The US President, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are meeting at a naval base in San Diego to formalize this project, which enraged France when it was announced 18 months ago.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan began sketching the outlines on Monday aboard the plane taking the US president to California.
The program will take place in three phases.
First of all, a phase of familiarization of Australia – which has no nuclear-powered submarines, nor nuclear technology, whether military or civil – with these machines, via the “training of sailors, engineers , technicians,” Jake Sullivan said.
He said the goal was to have American and British submarine “deployments” in Australia during the decade.
In a second phase, Australia will purchase three US “Virginia” class nuclear-powered submarines, with an option on two additional submersible vessels.
The submarines must be delivered from 2030.
Finally — this is the third and most ambitious stage of the program — the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom will join forces for a new generation of submarines, dubbed SSN-AUKUS, announced the White House National Security Advisor.
These devices, nuclear-powered and conventionally armed, will involve “significant investments” in the three countries, he said.
This program represents for the United States “a commitment for decades, and perhaps even a century,” the adviser said.
The goal, he said, is not “to go to war” but “to deter all conflict”.
Asked repeatedly about criticism of China, he assured that Washington had already raised the subject directly with Beijing, and took no one by surprise.
“We are very confident about the way we have designed the AUKUS alliance,” assured Jake Sullivan, for whom the goal of the United States is to ensure “peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region”.
This new military partnership, very close and very ambitious, does not, however, only make people happy.
The conclusion of the AUKUS alliance, with the corollary of Canberra’s cancellation of the contract for the acquisition of 12 French submarines, had given rise in 2021 to a diplomatic crisis with France, which had cried “treason”.
The case has since settled down, by dint of intense diplomatic maneuvers, including a state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to the United States in early December. Joe Biden called his French counterpart on March 7, and the two men, according to the White House, notably discussed their “cooperation” in the Indian Ocean and in Asia.
The indignation of France has mainly given way to criticism of China, engaged with the United States in a fierce economic and strategic rivalry.
“We call on the United States, Britain and Australia to abandon the Cold War mentality and zero-sum games” and “do more things to encourage regional peace and stability,” he said. said Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry, ahead of Monday’s announcements.
