Australia announced on Friday that it will invest an additional A$4.6 billion (U.S.$3.2 billion) to expand its nuclear-powered submarine construction yard in South Australia, reinforcing its commitment to the AUKUS defense partnership despite growing concerns over costs, submarine delivery timelines, and production challenges. The new funding will support the Osborne shipyard in South Australia, where future nuclear-powered submarines will be built under the trilateral AUKUS agreement between Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The submarine program is expected to create nearly 10,000 jobs in South Australia, with about 5,000 workers already employed on the project. Changes to submarine deliveries Under the current AUKUS plan, Australia will receive three nuclear-powered submarines from the United States before Australia and Britain jointly develop a new submarine class expected to enter service in the 2040s. AUKUS is well and truly real, and it’s happening right now, right here in South Australia,” he said.