SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia, the United States and Britain announced in 2021 they would transfer nuclear powered submarines to Australia, and two years later detailed an ambitious pathway that would bolster U.S. efforts to counter China’s naval ambitions in the Indo-Pacific.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is reviewing the deal struck before he returned to power, and has pressed Australia to increase defence spending.

WHY DOES AUSTRALIA WANT NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINES?

Only six countries operate nuclear-powered submarines: the U.S., the UK, Russia, China, France and India. As an island continent, Australia says a submarine fleet is crucial to securing its vast coastline, protecting the shipping lanes to its north it relies on for trade and intelligence gathering.

Canberra

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