Britain to build nuclear-powered submarines for ‘historic’ Aukus pact

First of new vessels expected to be seaworthy by the end of 2030s, with Australia receiving theirs in early 2040s

Britain’s design has been chosen for a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, as the leaders of the Aukus pact gathered in San Diego to declare they would stand “shoulder to shoulder” in the face of Chinese aggression.

The security partnership, which military top brass believe is the most significant for Britain since America helped it become one of the few nuclear powers in 1958, was hailed by the British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, and his US and Australian counterparts as “historic”.