# Plain Language Summary: AUKUS Undersea Defense Act

This bill allows the United States to sell up to two Virginia-class submarines to Australia as part of a military partnership between the U.S., Australia, and the United Kingdom called AUKUS. The submarines would be conventionally armed but powered by nuclear reactors, giving Australia advanced underwater capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. Australia would pay all the costs associated with the transfer, and the money the U.S. receives from the sale can be used to build new submarines or strengthen the submarine manufacturing industry.

The bill also creates a special fund called the Submarine Security Activities Account where Australia can contribute money to support joint submarine operations and training between the three countries. This account gives the U.S. Defense Department flexibility to spend these contributions on various submarine-related projects, including military construction, without needing separate congressional approval for each use. The Defense Department must report to Congress within 60 days whenever Australia deposits money into this account, explaining how the funds will be used.

Additionally, the bill allows the U.S. to share advanced defense knowledge and training with Australian private companies—not just the Australian government—to help build up Australia's submarine manufacturing capabilities. This is important because Australia will eventually need to build and maintain its own submarines as part of the partnership. The bill also permits U.S. and British personnel to repair and maintain submarines at shipyards in any of the three countries, rather than being restricted to U.S. facilities, making the partnership more efficient and practical.

AUKUS Undersea Defense Act

Meeks, Gregory W.

AUKUS Undersea Defense Act This bill authorizes the Department of Defense (DOD) to sell Australia up to two Virginia-class attack submarines under the Australia-United Kingdom-United States security partnership agreement (AUKUS). The bill authorizes DOD to transfer the submarines from existing Navy inventories. The bill also <ul> <li>applies existing law to the transfer under this bill of special nuclear material related to submarine reactors, </li> <li>authorizes the Navy to determine the appropriate shipyard in any of the AUKUS countries for repair of U.S. Navy submarines, </li> <li>establishes a submarine security activities account to accept payments from Australia for non-nuclear related aspects of submarine security activities, and </li> <li>authorizes the President to transfer defense services to Australia to develop the Australian submarine industrial base for AUKUS activities.</li> </ul>