Australia to receive three secondhand US Virginia-class nuclear submarines

Australia has been negotiating to receive three secondhand Virginia-class nuclear submarines from the United States since late 2022 and expects the nuclear vessels to run for more than 25 years, the defence industry minister Pat Conroy says.

Dismissing criticism of the Aukus defence pact from Labor colleague Ed Husic as “disingenuous”, Conroy said the US military had wanted Australia to accept a combination of new and used submarines from early next decade, to suit domestic manufacturing capability.

“What’s changed is that the US have got better data and understanding. They’ve improved the performance of their maintenance of in-service Virginias, which means they’re more confident to release a third in-service submarine to us,” Conroy told Guardian Australia.

“That will be cheaper for us to maintain, cheaper to run … and it’ll also be cheaper to buy.”

The first Virginia-class from the US is due to arrive in Australia in 2032, with another arriving every four years, before the Australian-built model is ready for operations. The bespoke SSN Aukus model is due to come online in 2042.

Conroy confirmed the Virginia-class models will have completed about five years of service and undergone their first deep level maintenance shortly before being handed over. With a lifespan of about 33 years, Australia expects about 26 or 27 years capability from the vessels.

Aukus has attracted renewed criticism since the defence minister, Richard Marles, announced the change on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Sunday.

Ed Husic, the former cabinet minister, criticised the decision in Labor’s caucus meeting on Tuesday, urging a rethink and a back up plan from the federal government.

“We need to be open as a nation that we are not going to get the deal that was promised to us,” Husic said, later referring to the original plan of two secondhand subs and one newly constructed model.

But Conroy, who has argued forcefully with Aukus opponents in settings including Labor’s national conference in 2023, said Husic’s criticism and calls for another vote on support for the $368bn deal was wrong.

“That’s disingenuous, because the Virginia’s weren’t mentioned when Labor was opposition.”

He conceded some Labor rank and file party members opposed Aukus but said broad support remained, including from members of the party’s Left faction.

“Aukus still has the support of the party, including Left MPs,” Conroy said.

A Pentagon spokesperson said overnight plans for three used submarines would streamline the Aukus arrangements, and deliver cost efficiencies in workforce training, maintenance and supply chains.

But the US congress could have to reconsider Aukus arrangements as a result of the change in approach.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 says the US president is authorised to transfer “up to two Virginia Class submarines from the inventory of the Department of the Navy” to Australia, and “transfer not more than one additional Virginia Class submarine” under the Arms Export Control Act.

Congressional Budget Office analysis of the US shipbuilding plan 2025-2054 says a used submarine will be delivered in 2032, before another in 2035, before a newly constructed ship is delivered in 2038.

“If the U.S. sold 5 SSNs to Australia, the remaining 2 would be new construction submarines in 2041 and 2044.”

Greens defence spokesperson David Shoebridge dismissed the government’s explanations as “spin”.

“This is the US flexing its muscles, and we know why, because Australia has no written guarantee to get any nuclear submarine out of the United States, even on their best case second, third, or fourth optimal pathway.”