US subs in Australia could be armed with nukes, says key Republican after visit

— 7:17pm , first published September 16, 2026 — 8:33am

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Share A A A Washington: US submarines that rotate through Western Australia under the AUKUS pact could be carrying nuclear weapons and Australia should welcome that, according to a key Republican who chairs the Friends of Australia caucus in the US Congress.

Michael McCaul, a former chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee and a China hawk, said having submarines armed with nuclear weapons was vital to deter Beijing from aggression towards Taiwan, which he regarded as a real and active threat.