A global threat for millennia: experts warn Australia’s nuclear submarine legacy will be weapons-usable uranium cache
Experts are raising concerns that the nuclear-powered submarines planned for Australia under the AUKUS pact will leave behind significant amounts of weapons-usable uranium waste. Critics argue this creates a long-term proliferation risk and sets a dangerous precedent for non-nuclear weapons states.
Why it matters
The disposal of high-level radioactive waste from military vessels poses both environmental and global security risks regarding nuclear non-proliferation.
A Virginia-class submarine off the coast of Western Australia last year. The uranium left behind by Australia’s Aukus nuclear submarines at the end of their working lives will likely still be enriched to about 80%: the same level as the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. via Getty Images A Virginia-class submarine off the coast of Western Australia last year. The uranium left behind by Australia’s Aukus nuclear submarines at the end of their working lives will likely still be enriched to about 80%: the same level as the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. via Getty Images Aukus A global threat for millennia: experts warn Australia’s nuclear submarine legacy will be weapons-usable uranium cache Exclusive: Uranium waste from Aukus submarines will be enriched to an estimated 80%: the same level as the bomb dropped on Hiroshima
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