Australia revealed a AU$3.9 billion (US$2.8 billion) investment on Sunday to start building a new facility for nuclear submarines. This is part of the Aukus security pact with the UK and the US. The pact will help Australia get advanced submarines from the US and develop new warfare technologies. The first nuclear submarines sales will start in 2032. This deal, costing up to US$235 billion over 30 years, is central to Australia’s plan to improve long-range strike abilities, especially in the Pacific region against China. Defence Minister Richard Marles said the new facility will be located in Osborne, near Adelaide, and is key to Australia's future submarine-building efforts. He stated, “The transformation under way at Osborne shows Australia is on track to deliver the sovereign capability to build our nuclear-powered submarines for decades to come.” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese added, “The investment in the Submarine Construction Yard is critical to delivering Australia’s conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines. We are accelerating Aukus opportunities to secure Australia’s future defence capability and create lasting prosperity and jobs for the state.” Australia also announced a separate US$8 billion plan in September to upgrade shipbuilding and maintenance facilities in Perth for the future nuclear submarine fleet. In 2021, Australia cancelled a large submarine deal with France, choosing the Aukus program instead. There were doubts about the pact in June after a US review regarding President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy. However, the Pentagon cleared the path in December, with Trump ordering the project to go “full steam ahead.”