Australia Won’t Get the Virginia-class Submarine Anytime Soon

As of last year, the Virginia-class building program was estimated to be 410 months behind schedule.

A U.S. fast-attack submarine visited HMAS Stirlinglast month under the Australia-United Kingdom-United States trilateral security agreement known as AUKUS. The presence of the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine is designed to furnish the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) with an underwater nuclear-powered capability. The goal is for RAN to replace its aging conventional-powered Collins-class submarines in an effort to modernize in light of the growing threat from China. As part of this trilateral effort, USS Minnesota will conduct at-sea operations at HMS Stirling to prepare Australia to acquire a sovereign conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine fleet by the beginning of the 2030s.

The U.S. Consul General in Perth stated that “AUKUS is a foundational partnership that demonstrates the United States’ confidence in Australia and commitment to allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region,” adding that “These port visits not only advance AUKUS but provide a great opportunity for our sailors to interact with and support the local community, reinforcing the longstanding friendship between the United States and Australia.”

Introducing USS Minnesota and the Virginia-class

USS Minnesota (SSN-783) represents the tenth Virginia-class fast-attack submarine. Like her sister-ships, Minnesota was designed to carry out a vast array of both open-ocean and littoral missions. These formidable vessels are planned to be acquired by the Navy through 2043 and will operate well into the 2070s. The Virginia ships were created to serve as modern successors to the Los Angeles-class submarines. Under the Navy’s Centurion Study initiated in the early 1990s, the initial design plan for the Virginia-class was laid out. Notably, the lead ship in the class was the first U.S. Navy warship created with the use of 3D visualization technology like CATIA.

All Virginia-class ships can displace nearly 8,000 tons with hull lengths of 377 feet and diameters of 34 feet. Since these submarines are nuclear-powered, they are able to remain underway for longer stretches of time. The Virginia ships can dive to more than 800 feet and can sail at speeds in excess of 25 knots. In terms of weapons load, these fast-attack submarines are more than lethal. Each Virginia submarine is equipped with twelve vertical missile launch tubes and four 533mm torpedo tubes. The vertical launching system is able to fire sixteen Tomahawk submarine-launched cruise missiles in one salvo. Additionally, the Virginia submarines can launch up to twenty-six mk48 ADCAP mod 6 heavyweight torpedoes and sub-harpoon anti-ship missiles.

Delays have plagued the Virginia-class

Considering its killer capabilities, Australia’s desire to acquire two used Virginia-class submarines over the next decade makes sense. However, U.S. shipbuilding has been lagging behind in recent years. As of last year, the Virginia building program was estimated to be 410 months behind schedule due to labor shortages and budgetary constraints. If the United States cannot maintain a timely production schedule for these formidable submarines, Australia’s acquisition plans may be put on the back burner temporarily.

About the Author: Maya Carlin

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.

Image: Wikimedia Commons.