Thread by @JackNorton8064

It's hard to overstate how big a deal this is for Australia's defence capabilities #AUKUS

Nuclear powered (not armed, as Biden was very keen to emphasise) submarines will give the navy the capability it was realistically always seeking

An 18 month consultation period is perhaps understandable after such a big decision but the key focus has to be getting new boats in the water asap. The mid-2030s projection for the first Attack-class was way too long #AUKUS

This move has a huge number of domestic hurdles to clear, and with an election coming it'll be key that it's bipartisan (assuming Labor is on board after briefings?) #AUKUS

Here's the statement, will be worth keeping an eye on the cyber, AI, quantum and 'additional undersea technologies' listed too

https://twitter.com/JoshButler/status/1438249878182785025?s=20

Also worth looking at will be the reactions. China is a fait accompli, but Japan and India as the other Quad partners as well as South Korea and the ASEAN countries are all important. Oh, and France and Naval Group too, assuming the Attack Class is now dead #AUKUS

You'd have to think the decision was aired this week in Indonesia, India and South Korea as @MarisePayne and @PeterDutton_MP made the rounds for their 2+2 dialogues before heading to the US #AUKUS

Statement from France's Naval Group here. You can't help but think that if in the five years since the announcement there was even a design for the Attack class, the decision wouldn't have been made to go nuclear

https://twitter.com/MattDoran91/status/1438279737336635394

#BREAKING PM @ScottMorrisonMP announces Australia will acquire Tomahawk missiles for the Royal Australian Navy's Hobart-class destroyers

Also #BREAKING PM announces full-cycle dockings for Collins-class submarines will be in Adelaide. A full life of type extension will start from 2024

Morrison says he spoke with NZ, Japanese and Indian PMs before the announcement was made #AUKUS

Important on timeline for Australia's new subs: PM says the first of the nuclear submarines will be 'in the water, we believe, before the end of next decade'

Morrison says the governement is discussing an enhanced presence in the region (likely Australian-based) with the US and UK, as well as France, between now and when Australia's new submarines are eventually delivered #AUKUS

The nuclear subs deal officially has bipartisan support (with some conditions) #AUKUS

https://twitter.com/stephendziedzic/status/1438332138751881218

To finish we could ask what do we want out of #AUKUS ? Peace. But sadly it's always just out of reach. What's the best way to get peace? With a knife - or a nuclear submarine