EARLY last week, three heads of government could be seen on TV screens, lined up behind podiums on the San Diego coastline: the US president flanked by the prime ministers of Australia and the United Kingdom. The occasion was the announcement of a project to provide Australia with nuclear- powered submarines in the future.
The first step will be for Australia to purchase up to three US Virginia-class submarines in the 2030s. The SSN Aukus variety subs are not expected to surface (or submerge) until the 2040s.
