Australia’s move to strengthen its defence capability with five nuclear-powered attack submarines underlines how relatively defenceless New Zealand is in the Pacific.
Kiwis may gasp that the Labor government in Australia recognises it must outlay $400bn on the nuclear subs, but this ensures that Australia is not exposed to any marauding raid.
Part of the deal under the Aukus umbrella (embracing Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States) is that Australia will regularly host US nuclear-powered submarines beginning within five years, and embedding its military personnel with the US and UK navies, as it begins the process of establishing its own industry.
US President Joe Biden has stressed that the submarines, provided under the trilateral security pact would be “nuclear-powered, not nuclear-armed”. Continue reading “Australia buys nuclear-powered subs – would NZ be concerned if we came under attack and they were defending us?”
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