Australia risks being left with no submarines if aukus deal falls through, senior official warns

Australia faces the stark possibility of having no submarines at all if the country abandons the Aukus agreement with the US and UK, a senior defence official has cautioned.

Aussie submarine hopes hang in the balance

Defence Department Deputy Secretary Hugh Jeffrey made the warning at a Sovereignty and Security Forum in Canberra on Friday. His remarks underscore the monumental risks Australia would be taking by scrapping the ambitious $368 billion deal to acquire eight nuclear-powered subs.

Under Aukus, Australia has already committed more than $9 billion to boost the industrial capacities of the US and UK to build more subs, with no guarantees that any vessels would be delivered under Australian command.

When pressed about potential alternatives to the Aukus plan, Jeffrey declined to entertain any 'Plan B' or 'Plan C', stressing that Defence has been directed to pursue Aukus and that's the current strategy.