• Analysis
• Foreign relations

For France, it’s not so much the subs – it’s the snub

Paris no longer thinks it can trust Australia. But Morrison might also have fences to mend with Washington, too.

• Sep 19, 2021
• Hans van Leeuwen

• Western alliance

French subs snub opens cracks in EU defences

Germany has suggested the AUKUS defence pact threatens the very coherence of the Western alliance, and France may use it to push for greater EU military integration.

• Sep 19, 2021
• Henry Bodkin, Henry Samuel and James Crisp

• Opinion
• Emmanuel Macron

Macron shows why Anglosphere right to exclude him

The French President is incandescent – but AUKUS is, on every level, a positive development, a sign that there are still some grown-ups patrolling the playground.

• Sep 19, 2021
• Daniel Hannan

• Analysis
• Regional security

What Washington gets from the subs deal

The AUKUS pact with Australia is part of Washington’s push to prevent Beijing achieving military superiority in Asia.

• Sep 19, 2021
• Kathrin Hille

• Analysis
• Analysis

Boris Johnson the unlikely winner in subs deal

The defence pact that will supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines is Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s first tangible victory in a campaign to make post-Brexit Britain a player on the global stage.

• Sep 19, 2021
• Mark Landler

• China relations

Dutton warns of ‘more aggressive behaviour from China’

Peter Dutton says Australia should be prepared for retaliation from China over the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, suggesting there will be more cyber attacks.

• Sep 19, 2021
• Matthew Cranston

• USA

Secret talks and a hidden agenda: Behind the AUKUS deal

The United States and Australia went to extraordinary lengths to keep Paris in the dark as they secretly negotiated a plan to build nuclear submarines.

• Sep 18, 2021
• David E. Sanger

• Foreign relations

France vents subs anger with recall of Australian, US envoys

The shock move signals a potentially serious rupture in French-Australian relations after the dumping of a $90 billion submarine contract that the French described as a “stab in the back”.

• Updated Sep 18, 2021
• Hans van Leeuwen

• September 11 attacks

Four long reads for this weekend

Four stories from the latest edition of AFR Weekend to pore over.

• Updated Sep 17, 2021

• Opinion
• The AFR View

Australia’s strategic worries are shared in the Indo-Pacific

The submarine deal with the US and Britain will be signed at the same time as the Quad partners meet face to face. That says something about regional alarm over China’s behaviour.

• Sep 17, 2021
• The AFR View

• Federal budget

Defence spend to rival Cold War blowout

Defence spending is poised to hit at least 2.5 per cent of GDP a year by the end of the decade, dwarfing the existing allocation.

• Sep 17, 2021
• John Kehoe and Andrew Tillett

• Foreign relations

Australia ‘can’t walk back’ on nuclear submarine deal

Australia had a choice to take itself off the strategic map but opted to do the opposite.

• Sep 17, 2021
• Jacob Greber

• Perspective

Nuclear family: Setting a new course in submarine policy

The acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines promises to transform the Australian navy, but there are some uncomfortable realities Australia must also confront.

• Sep 17, 2021
• Andrew Tillett

• China relations

China says relations with Australia will worsen

China’s state media has talked up Australia’s relatively weak military power compared with the US and called Scott Morrison’s offer to talk to Xi Jinping an ‘olive branch’ that is unlikely to be accepted.

• Sep 17, 2021
• Michael Smith

• Opinion
• Opinion

Scott Morrison’s nuke deal a geopolitical game changer

Australia is finally, and belatedly, starting to insure against the risks it faces – a brave decision that will irreversibly alter our strategic path.

• Sep 17, 2021
• Christopher Joye

• Centuria Capital Group

Owner of Naval Group’s headquarters backs submarines switch

The boss of a $3 billion property group that owns the building where Naval Group is based is in favour of the new submarine deal.

• Sep 17, 2021
• Simon Evans

• Opinion
• Opinion

Australia’s credibility rests on subs success

After disappointing the Japanese and then alienating the French, we can’t afford to change course on our nuclear submarine deal.

• Sep 17, 2021
• Marcus Hellyer

• Federal election

Most Australians approve of nuclear subs deal

Support for the nuclear-powered submarines deal is strong among men, older Australians and Coalition voters, according to a Roy Morgan poll.

• Sep 17, 2021
• Tess Bennett

• ADF

US military ramp-up in Australia to ensure ‘match fitness’

American ships, bomber planes, satellites and military base personnel will have a significantly increased presence across Australia.

• Updated Sep 17, 2021
• Matthew Cranston

• International affairs

Subs snub won’t sink Australia-EU trade deal, Brussels says

The AUKUS announcement overshadowed the EU’s launch of an Indo-Pacific strategy that could increase Europe’s naval presence in the region.

• Sep 17, 2021
• Hans van Leeuwen

• Defence spending

‘Brutal’ subs decision is ‘like Trump’, French foreign minister says

Jean-Yves Le Drian signalled further French pressure on Canberra as he compared Australia’s cancellation of the $90 billion defence deal to Donald Trump.

• Sep 16, 2021
• Hans van Leeuwen

• Need to Know

Qld becomes fifth state to legalise euthanasia

The state parliament has passed laws allowing voluntary assisted dying after days of emotional debate; More than 49.6pc of people in NSW over the age of 16 have received two doses of the vaccine. Follow updates here.

• Updated Sep 16, 2021
• Timothy Moore and Natasha Rudra

• Defence spending

Nuclear subs the first step in ‘forever partnership’

Australia’s shock acquisition of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines is the first move in what will be a big surge in defence spending to counter China.

• Sep 16, 2021
• Andrew Tillett

• Nuclear energy

Anti-nuke campaigners prepare for a new battle

The anti-nuclear campaigners of the 1970s and 1980s believe the public won’t support nuclear submarines docking in their capital cities.

• Updated Sep 16, 2021
• Mark Ludlow and Julie Hare

• Nuclear energy

Australian universities have expertise to support AUKUS security pact

Group of Eight universities have a demonstrated world-class record in science and technology.

• Sep 16, 2021
• Julie Hare

• Rear Window

French subs sink amid more Morrison pretence

In the Morrison government’s submarine pivot, there lies a profusion of comedy.

• Sep 16, 2021
• Joe Aston

• Defence spending

New military technology in government’s sights

Australia will acquire Tomahawk missiles and extend the life of its six Collins class submarines to enhance long-range strike capability.

• Sep 16, 2021
• Andrew Tillett

• Opinion
• National security

Australia crosses a strategic Rubicon

The Morrison government has now acted swiftly to regain just a fraction of the military edge that Beijing has been acquiring for years.

• Sep 16, 2021
• Rory Medcalf

• Opinion
• International affairs

‘All the way with the USA’ – and the UK

Scott Morrison has united with Joe Biden and Boris Johnson to announce a potent new security partnership in the Indo-Pacific and a nuclear-powered submarine deal replacing the dumped French project.

• Sep 16, 2021
• Jennifer Hewett

• Opinion
• Canberra Observed

No one’s talking snub now as grand alliance surfaces

Boris Johnson’s ‘gatecrashing’ of Scott Morrison’s and Joe Biden’s G7 meeting was probably the most important trilateral gathering for Australia in 70 years.

• Sep 16, 2021
• Phillip Coorey

• Mining

Miners call for China olive branch after defence pact

Big miners fear they might be penalised by Chinese customers after Australia committed to enhanced defence pact with the US.

• Sep 16, 2021
• Peter Ker

• Opinion
• Australia’s China challenge

A Rolls-Royce sub fleet, when what we need is a class of Corollas

If the US decides not to pay the price of competing with China, Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines could ultimately leave our home defences exposed.

• Sep 16, 2021
• Sam Roggeveen

• Opinion
• Defence spending

The French thought the subs deal was too big to fail. They were wrong

Under the AUKUS deal, the Australian government is now further away from receiving new submarines. But China’s actions forced Australia’s hand.

• Sep 16, 2021
• Andrew Tillett

• China relations

SA Premier says defence gains outweigh short-term pain

A former SA governor who presided over a nuclear royal commission says nuclear-powered subs are a smart move.

• Sep 16, 2021
• Simon Evans

• Taiwan

Taiwan plans $12b boost in arms spending, warns of ‘severe threat’

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has made modernising the armed forces – well-armed but dwarfed by China’s – and increasing defence spending a priority.

• Sep 16, 2021
• Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee

• Defence spending

PM hails new subs deal as ‘forever partnership’

The acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines is the start of a “forever partnership” between Australia, the US and UK.

• Sep 16, 2021
• Andrew Tillett

• Analysis
• Analysis

Kim Jong-un’s nuclear weapons development puts Biden to the test

North Korea on Wednesday fired two ballistic missiles, just three days after Pyongyang claimed to have successfully tested new long-range cruise missiles.

• Sep 16, 2021
• Edward White and Kana Inagaki

• Opinion
• Opinion

A profound move for both Canberra and Washington

Both Australia and the US see the balance of power shifting away from allied democracies. Both are willing to take steps, even dramatic ones, to shift it back.

• Sep 16, 2021
• Richard Fontaine

• Emmanuel Macron

French ministers lament ‘regrettable’ decision

‘This is a decision contrary to the letter and the spirit of cooperation between France and Australia,’ said the foreign and defence ministers.

• Updated Sep 16, 2021
• Hans van Leeuwen

• Analysis
• Nuclear disarmament

New Zealand is missing from AUKUS

Notably missing from Australia’s new trilateral military alliance acronym is ‘NZ’ and the reason is most likely nuclear.

• Sep 16, 2021
• Matthew Cranston

• Scott Morrison

Australia to build nuclear-powered subs, not weapons

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia will obtain nuclear submarines for the first time under a new defence alliance with the United States and the United Kingdom. It will not include weapons or a civil nuclear industry.

• Updated Sep 16, 2021
• Matthew Cranston and Andrew Tillett

• Adelaide

Defence Innovation Partnership in South Australia boosts many projects

A new injection of capital is seen as a validation of the Defence Innovation Partnership, which has bankrolled 20 projects.

• Sep 16, 2021
• Agnes King

• Peter Dutton

US looking for ‘new and unique ways’ to strengthen Australia alliance

Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin wants this week’s AUSMIN talks to deliver real changes to strengthen the alliance to better manage threats in the Indo-Pacific region.

• Sep 16, 2021
• Matthew Cranston

• Defence spending

Going nuclear: PM to announce $90b French submarine deal is dead

The government is poised to make a major announcement about the submarine program, which could involve acquiring nuclear-powered boats in partnership with the US and UK.