AUKUS only works if Britain's submarine town does

AUKUS—an alliance announced in 2021 linking the U.S., U.K., and Australia to counter threats in the Pacific—depends heavily on the British town of Barrow. A local memorial recalls crews lost or captured sailing the first two Royal Australian Navy submarines built in Barrow during World War I. Over the next 15 years, AUKUS likewise relies on Barrow’s shipyards to build the next generation of nuclear-powered submarines, including the SSN-AUKUS fleet based on a British design. The first submarines are planned for BAE Systems in Barrow, with later builds at Osborne in Adelaide and Rolls-Royce providing nuclear propulsion plants. However, observers expect delays, and Britain says the first SSN-AUKUS class cuts steel in 2027.