Latest news with #Virginia-class
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Australia's Defence Minister to meet US, Japan counterparts in first trilateral since Trump took office
Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marles is set to meet his US and Japanese counterparts this week at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, marking the first trilateral defence talks among the three countries since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. The high-level meeting will include US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Japan's Defence Minister Gen Nakatani, Marles' office confirmed Thursday. It will be Marles' first overseas visit since the centre-left Labor Party secured an increased majority in this month's national elections. The talks will take place on the sidelines of Asia's premier security forum, which runs from May 30 to June 1, and are expected to focus on regional security cooperation, including joint exercises and intelligence sharing. The meeting also comes as Australia prepares to make a $2 billion payment to the US submarine industrial base under the AUKUS pact—a defence partnership involving Australia, the US, and the UK. Marles had earlier discussed the deal with Hegseth in Washington in February. The AUKUS agreement envisions Australia eventually acquiring both US-made Virginia-class submarines and a new fleet of submarines developed jointly with the UK. However, delays in US production have raised questions about delivery timelines. Under the current schedule, the first Virginia-class submarines could arrive by 2032, while Australian-built nuclear-powered submarines are expected only by 2040. Officials in the Trump administration have pressed Canberra to increase its defence budget to 3% of GDP. On Thursday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government would raise spending to 2.4%, focusing on building capabilities and strengthening regional ties. 'The Government is committed to strengthening our global defence relationships, while deepening our diplomatic and defence partnerships in the Indo-Pacific,' Marles said in a statement. Euan Graham, senior defence analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said Marles' main task in Singapore will be to assure allies that Australia's current military capabilities are sufficient to respond to a crisis in the region. He also stressed on the importance of Australia visibly supporting US nuclear deterrence, even while acquiring conventionally armed submarines. 'Conventional deterrence has to join up with nuclear deterrence to be credible,' Graham said. Australia has faced criticism from China over the AUKUS deal, with Beijing accusing the pact of undermining nuclear non-proliferation. Canberra has pushed back, stressing that the submarines will not carry nuclear weapons and that the partnership complies with international norms. Defence ministers, top military officials, and diplomats from across the globe are expected to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, where Marles is scheduled to deliver a speech on Saturday outlining the growing risks in the Indo-Pacific. (With inputs from Reuters)
The Age
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Age
Trump's billionaire envoy joins Starmer in show of force for AUKUS
The remarks from the banker-turned-diplomat, who gave at least $US6 million ($9.3 million) to Trump's election campaign, appeared as a clear pitch to those concerned about the pact's future after his return to the White House. Loading 'This alliance enjoys broad bipartisan support,' the former chief executive of Stephens Inc. said. 'I'm sure that you all are aware that bipartisanship is certainly not always the case in American politics these days. However, it is when it comes to AUKUS.' Stephens said it was reassuring to see that that same support was reflected in the room – which included Australia's High Commission Stephen Smith and former defence minister Linda Reynolds – adding that AUKUS was 'a partnership built on trust'. 'The United States is proud to stand alongside Britain and Australia, two of our closest allies, as we deepen our collaboration to respond to a changing world,' he said. Loading His remarks come at a pivotal moment for the pact. Nearly four years after its dramatic announcement, AUKUS is shifting from high-level co-ordination to complex implementation. Announced in 2021, Pillar I of the agreement aims to deliver Australia with three nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarines from the US and build five new nuclear-powered attack submarines named SSN-AUKUS. The first of those will arrive in the late 2030s, and Australia's first domestically built sub in the early 2040s. Pillar II focuses on joint development of advanced defence technologies, including AI and quantum. While AUKUS aims to strengthen defence ties in the Indo-Pacific, former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has voiced concerns, questioning whether Australia would ever receive a US nuclear-powered submarine. The US faces challenges in its own naval capabilities, with senior Pentagon officials also questioning the feasibility of the submarine deal, given current shipbuilding limitations. Starmer, meanwhile, used the moment to double down on defence, announcing the UK's biggest military investment since the Cold War. 'In February, I announced the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War. That will come on stream in 2027 and then up to 3 per cent of GDP in the next Parliament,' he said. But he said AUKUS was about more than money. 'Alongside the pure money comes the biggest shift in mindset, I think certainly in my lifetime—to see security and defence not just as one priority amongst many, but as the central organising principle of government.' He pointed to AUKUS's industrial impact, including thousands of jobs already created in Barrow and Derby, and the role of British businesses in building the next generation of nuclear-powered submarines and advanced technology systems. 'This is transformational,' Starmer said. 'An investment in our collective security and a reminder today and every day of the service out there of people who are risking their lives to keep us safe.' Starmer said he had attempted to demonstrate both by naming former national security adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove as his special AUKUS representative.
Sydney Morning Herald
20-05-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Trump's billionaire envoy joins Starmer in show of force for AUKUS
The remarks from the banker-turned-diplomat, who gave at least $US6 million ($9.3 million) to Trump's election campaign, appeared as a clear pitch to those concerned about the pact's future after his return to the White House. Loading 'This alliance enjoys broad bipartisan support,' the former chief executive of Stephens Inc. said. 'I'm sure that you all are aware that bipartisanship is certainly not always the case in American politics these days. However, it is when it comes to AUKUS.' Stephens said it was reassuring to see that that same support was reflected in the room – which included Australia's High Commission Stephen Smith and former defence minister Linda Reynolds – adding that AUKUS was 'a partnership built on trust'. 'The United States is proud to stand alongside Britain and Australia, two of our closest allies, as we deepen our collaboration to respond to a changing world,' he said. Loading His remarks come at a pivotal moment for the pact. Nearly four years after its dramatic announcement, AUKUS is shifting from high-level co-ordination to complex implementation. Announced in 2021, Pillar I of the agreement aims to deliver Australia with three nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarines from the US and build five new nuclear-powered attack submarines named SSN-AUKUS. The first of those will arrive in the late 2030s, and Australia's first domestically built sub in the early 2040s. Pillar II focuses on joint development of advanced defence technologies, including AI and quantum. While AUKUS aims to strengthen defence ties in the Indo-Pacific, former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has voiced concerns, questioning whether Australia would ever receive a US nuclear-powered submarine. The US faces challenges in its own naval capabilities, with senior Pentagon officials also questioning the feasibility of the submarine deal, given current shipbuilding limitations. Starmer, meanwhile, used the moment to double down on defence, announcing the UK's biggest military investment since the Cold War. 'In February, I announced the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War. That will come on stream in 2027 and then up to 3 per cent of GDP in the next Parliament,' he said. But he said AUKUS was about more than money. 'Alongside the pure money comes the biggest shift in mindset, I think certainly in my lifetime—to see security and defence not just as one priority amongst many, but as the central organising principle of government.' He pointed to AUKUS's industrial impact, including thousands of jobs already created in Barrow and Derby, and the role of British businesses in building the next generation of nuclear-powered submarines and advanced technology systems. 'This is transformational,' Starmer said. 'An investment in our collective security and a reminder today and every day of the service out there of people who are risking their lives to keep us safe.' Starmer said he had attempted to demonstrate both by naming former national security adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove as his special AUKUS representative.
19-05-2025
- Business
Strike averted as sub designers in Connecticut agree to contract with Electric Boat
GROTON, Conn. -- The union for about 2,500 submarine designers at Electric Boat in Connecticut has tentatively agreed to a new contract with the company, averting a strike that would have begun Monday. The Marine Draftsmen's Association-United Auto Workers of America, Local 571, essentially the workers responsible for designing the U.S. Navy's nuclear submarine fleet, had threatened to strike earlier this month if the company did not make greater wage and benefit concessions. The local's negotiating committee announced the tentative contract agreement late Sunday, saying it contains 'unprecedented' wage increases of more than 30% over the five-year term as well as increased retirement security. The deal now goes up for a vote by union members. Union officials did not say when the vote would be. 'We've been saying it all along: The company didn't want a work stoppage, we did not want a work stoppage,' William Louis, president of Local 571, said in a video posted on union social media sites Sunday night. 'And as we've been telling you for a long time, we have been working endlessly to get to the table with the company and have something put together that we both agree on." Electric Boat, a subsidiary of Reston, Virginia-based General Dynamics, was recently awarded a contract worth more than $12.4 billion by the Navy for the construction of two Virginia-class submarines. The funding also covers improved pay for workers including the Marine Draftsmen's Association. 'This package recognizes the essential role of the MDA members in the production of submarines for the U.S. Navy,' Electric Boat said in a joint statement with the union. The union's contract expired April 4, but leadership had agreed to continue bargaining with EB. Electric Boat employs more than 23,000 people at his shipyard in Groton, Connecticut, engineering facilities in New London, Connecticut, and operations in Quonset Point, Rhode Island. The company said its earlier offer included a 23.3% general wage increase over the life of the contract, plus benefits and an increased retirement package.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Strike averted as submarine designers in Connecticut agree to contract with Electric Boat
GROTON, Conn. (AP) — The union for about 2,500 submarine designers at Electric Boat in Connecticut has tentatively agreed to a new contract with the company, averting a strike that would have begun Monday. The Marine Draftsmen's Association-United Auto Workers of America, Local 571, essentially the workers responsible for designing the U.S. Navy's nuclear submarine fleet, had threatened to strike earlier this month if the company did not make greater wage and benefit concessions. The local's negotiating committee announced the tentative contract agreement late Sunday, saying it contains 'unprecedented' wage increases of more than 30% over the five-year term as well as increased retirement security. The deal now goes up for a vote by union members. Union officials did not say when the vote would be. 'We've been saying it all along: The company didn't want a work stoppage, we did not want a work stoppage,' William Louis, president of Local 571, said in a video posted on union social media sites Sunday night. 'And as we've been telling you for a long time, we have been working endlessly to get to the table with the company and have something put together that we both agree on." Electric Boat, a subsidiary of Reston, Virginia-based General Dynamics, was recently awarded a contract worth more than $12.4 billion by the Navy for the construction of two Virginia-class submarines. The funding also covers improved pay for workers including the Marine Draftsmen's Association. 'This package recognizes the essential role of the MDA members in the production of submarines for the U.S. Navy,' Electric Boat said in a joint statement with the union. The union's contract expired April 4, but leadership had agreed to continue bargaining with EB. Electric Boat employs more than 23,000 people at his shipyard in Groton, Connecticut, engineering facilities in New London, Connecticut, and operations in Quonset Point, Rhode Island. The company said its earlier offer included a 23.3% general wage increase over the life of the contract, plus benefits and an increased retirement package.
