News live: Australia to buy only second-hand nuclear subs from US in major Aukus switch; Hanson says she could be PM

Australia will no longer receive any new Virginia-class submarines from the US, with all three of the Aukus vessels to be second hand. The defence minister, Richard Marles , welcomed the new proposal alongside his US and UK counterparts yesterday. Australia had been expecting to receive a mix of old and new Virginia-class submarines for its own use in the early 2030s as it prepares to adopt nuclear-powered submarines. Richard Marles speaks as British defence secretary John Healey (left) and US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth look on. Photograph: Edgar Su/Reuters Marles announced the plan had changed in a joint statement on Saturday. It read: double quotation mark The Deputy Prime Minister and Secretaries welcomed the proposed approach to streamline Australia’s acquisition of Virginia-class submarines (VCS), simplifying supply chain management, operational and maintenance requirements, and maximising cost efficiencies. This approach would enable Australia to acquire three in-service VCS in lieu of a mixture of new and in-service VCS variants. US shipyards have been under pressure as they struggle to boost manufacturing to their goal of building an average of 2.3 new submarines a year by 2032. You can read more about Marles’ speech here: New Aukus drone subs to protect critical undersea cables as Marles warns: ‘seabed is a battlefield’ Read more