US Navy's Caudle: Subs by 2032, AUKUS Pact

0:00It's March 25th. This is Sending News Today, powered by AI, I'm Cory with the story. The U.S. Navy's top operations officer, Admiral Darryl Coddle, just wrapped up a visit to Australia where he reaffirmed the commitment to deliver the first Virginia class nuclear submarines by 2032 under the August pact. Australia plans to buy between three and five of these boats as part of the $368 billion deal with the U.S. and UK. Federal Express strong confidence that the U.S. shipbuilding industry will ramp up production to more than two subs per year by the end of the decade. Right now, the pay sits at about 1.3 annually, but efforts in workforce training, advanced manufacturing, and modular construction are set to transform that. Skeptics, including a former Australian Prime Minister, worry the timeline is unrealistic given current delays. Still, Coddle sees it as achievable, and he toured upgrades at HMAS Sterling near Perth

1:00to prepare for rotating U.S. and British subs starting next. Year? During the trip, he checked on housing plans for incoming U.S. sailors amid Perth's tight market, calling their numbers a minor blip but predicting A. Big economic lift from their presence. He also named the incoming unit submarine Squadron 3, which he'll reunite with after commanding it years ago. Australia is pouring $8 billion into base expansions over the next decade to host these subs, paving the way for even closer naval teamwork. Between the Allies and protecting key sea routes.