The leaders of the United States, Britain and Australia unveiled on Monday their plans to acquire and develop nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS security pact, which is seen as a counterweight to China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific.

The President of the United States, Joe Biden, and the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and Australia, Rishi Sunak and Anthony Albanese, unveiled in the city of San Diego, California, the characteristics and condition of the submarine, which represents the first concrete advancement of the AUKUS pact.

“The United States has for decades maintained the stability of the Indo-Pacific to the great benefit of nations throughout the region,” said Biden, who claims his country’s position as a “Pacific power” with authority to maintain, among other things, the free-of-navigation area in the Indo-Pacific .

Under the agreement, Australia will purchase up to three Virginia-class single-jet submarines from the United States during the 2030s, with an option to buy two more if necessary, bringing the total to five.

For the first time in 65 years, Biden explained, the United States will share the technology at the heart of its nuclear-powered submarines with another country, allowing Australia to build its own ships.

The multi-phase submarine development project will culminate in the production by Australia and the UK of a new nuclear powered submarine that will use US technology and will be named “SSN-AUKUS.”

Britain will have the “SSN-AUKUS” submarine ready by the late 2030s, while Australia will complete construction in the 2040s, according to a joint statement from the three leaders.

The idea was that the different marine corps from the United States, Australia and Britain could operate one of the submarines and exchange components, in addition to allowing the fleets to communicate using the same terminology, explained Sunak.

“For the first time, three submarine fleets will be able to work together in the Atlantic and Pacific, keeping our oceans prosperous and free for decades,” said Sunak.

Meanwhile, Albanese emphasized that the AUKUS agreement will open “new frontiers” for the three countries with new technological innovations and a desire to guarantee a “prosperous and peaceful future.”

As they gave their speeches, the three leaders stood behind the enormous USS Missouri, which displaces 7,800 tons and is one of the US Navy’s Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines.

These submarines are powered by a nuclear reactor, which allows them to operate at higher speeds and spend more time without surfacing than conventional submarines, which run on diesel.

The announcement came in San Diego as the city is home to one of the US Pacific Fleet’s major military bases.

The AUKUS tripartite compact (which stands for Australia, United Kingdom and United States) was announced on 15 September 2021.

At the time, the announcement sparked a diplomatic crisis between Australia and France as it involved canceling a contract with French shipping company Naval for the development of conventional submarines for Canberra.

Although the signatory countries do not explicitly name China, the pact is seen as an alliance to counter Beijing’s influence in the strategic Indo-Pacific region, a seat of tension in the South China Sea, and in Taiwan, which the Chinese government considers a renegade territory.

The new submarines will allow Australia to enter, starting in the next decade, the club of nations with nuclear powered submarines, which includes the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and India.