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What is the Aukus pact between US, UK and Australia? How have other nations reacted?
The United States, United Kingdom, and Australia announced a new defence deal, under which the US and UK will help Australia deploy nuclear-powered submarines in the Pacific region.
AUKUS Agreement
- AUKUS is the new enhanced trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
- It would be a collaboration of the technology, scientists, industries, defence forces of the three countries to deliver a safer and more secure region.
- The first major initiative of AUKUS would be to deliver a nuclear-powered submarine fleet for Australia.
- The deal is seen as a step towards curtailing China’s aggressive manoeuvres in the Pacific region, especially in and around the South China Sea.
AUKUS and France
- The deal has complicated the relations between France and Australia, and France and the US.
- France is outraged that it was not even informed or consulted about the decision and the new agreement.
- In 2016 —France and Australia had signed a contract to buy 12 Attack-class submarines from the French shipbuilder Naval Group worth nearly $90 billion.
- There is a case of legal battle over the contract between the two countries.
Significance of nuclear-powered submarine
- Nuclear-powered submarine gives Navy the capability to reach far out into the ocean and launch ballistic missiles.
- The submarine can go to long distances, at a higher speed, without being detected which gives a nation the ability to protect its interests far from its shores.
- The nuclear-powered propulsion gives the submarine a near infinite capacity to stay dived.
- Since it is propelled by a nuclear-powered engine rather than by batteries, it does not have to emerge on the surface at all, except to replenish supplies for the crew.
- Conventional diesel-engine submarines have batteries which have life from a few hours to a few days.
- They are able to move faster underwater than the conventional submarines.
India has nuclear-powered submarines
- India is among the six nations that have nuclear-powered submarines (SSN).
- Other five are: the US, the UK, Russia, France and China.
- India got the Soviet-built K-43 Charlie-class SSN in 1987, rechristened INS Chakra. The submarine was decommissioned in 1991.
- 2012: India got another Russian SSN on a 10-year lease, called INS Chakra 2.
- India built its own nuclear submarine, INS Arihant, commissioned in 2016.
- INS Arihant completes India’s nuclear triad, i.e., the country has the capacity to launch nuclear missiles from land, aircraft, and submarine.
- A second Arihant-class submarine, INS Arighat, was secretly launched in 2017, and is likely to be commissioned soon.
POSTED ON 15-09-2021 BY ADMIN
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