Australia is expected to buy up to five U.S. Virginia class nuclear powered submarines in the 2030's as part of a landmark defense agreement between Washington, Canberra and London, four U.S. officials said on Wednesday.
The agreement, known as the AUKUS pact, will have multiple stages with at least one U.S. submarine visiting Australian ports in the coming years and end in the late 2030's with a new class of submarines being built with British designs and American technology, one of the officials said.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, given the sensitivity of the subject ahead of a formal announcement on Monday. The Pentagon referred queries to the White House, which declined to confirm details about any upcoming announcement
