# Aukus deal is ‘living a lie’: Australia will never get nuclear submarines from US and both sides know it, Bob Carr says

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/aukus-deal-is-living-a-lie-australia-will-never-get-nuclear-submarines-from-us-and-both-sides-know-it-bob-carr-says/
- Published: 2026-11-13T02:00:05+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-13T02:21:44+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/nov/13/bob-carr-aukus-deal-living-a-lie-australia-us
- Topics: Americas, Government, Politics, Software, Technology, World

## Key points

- Bob Carr doubts Australia will receive US nuclear submarines.
- More than $3bn has already been paid towards US production.
- The government says Aukus remains on track.

## Summary

Former Australian foreign affairs minister Bob Carr says the Aukus submarine agreement is unlikely to deliver US nuclear submarines to Australia, and describes the deal as a diplomatic fiction. His criticism raises questions about whether Australia will receive the military capability at the centre of the pact, while its costs are putting pressure on other defence spending.

Carr expects US-operated submarines could instead be based in Australia, with any transfer dependent on a future US president and American military needs. Australia has already paid more than $3bn towards US submarine manufacturing, with about $4.6bn promised over the deal’s lifetime, alongside spending on infrastructure, workforce and construction. The first Virginia-class submarine is due in 2032, followed by one every four years, while the SSN Aukus model is planned for 2042; the government says the agreement is proceeding as intended.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.