Australian submariners will be allowed to train inside UK submarines for the first time as they prepare for the arrival of nuclear-powered vessels as part of the AUKUS security pact.
Defence Minister Richard Marles, visiting the United Kingdom on Wednesday, joined his UK counterpart Ben Wallace and outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a commissioning ceremony for HMS Anson - the nuclear-powered attack sub that will be available to Australian naval officers.
"Australia is eager to learn from our counterparts, and who better to learn from than our friends in the United Kingdom," Mr Marles said at the BAE shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness in northern England.
"Our countries are working hand in glove on training, and building the skills required for our future submarines is an important part of bolstering our defence force."
The defence minister, who is also deputy prime minister, said the opportunity for Australians to train aboard HMS Anson "says everything about our future plans of building the AUKUS partnership".
The 18-month consultation period under which the Australian government will decide whether to purchase United States or UK-made nuclear-powered submarines is coming up in March 2023.
The Australian navy will train on HMS Anson and four other Astute class submarines alongside UK crews.
The chief of the Royal Australian Navy's nuclear-powered submarine taskforce, Jonathan Mead, told the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's The Strategist in May that the Astute class and the US Virginia class were two options.
Mr Johnson called the subs "the policemen of the world, gathering intelligence, protecting our sea lanes... and invisibly helping to create that force field around us that is warding off attack on NATO countries for 80 years, or getting on for 80 years, keeping safe a billion people around the world".
"Under the AUKUS agreements with Australia and with the United States, the technology we hope in the submarine will be used to help keep people safe across the whole of the Pacific region as well," he said.
The UK Ministry of Defence said the UK and US have already welcomed Australian personnel to specialised nuclear training courses, and more will follow next year, before Australian submariners go to sea.
The training and exchanges "mark the beginning of a multi-generational naval partnership between the three AUKUS nations," UK officials said.
with Reuters and PA
