Australia’s earmarked $10 billion nuclear-powered submarine base will have ramifications across the Indo-Pacific region and demonstrates the “magnitude” of AUKUS in action, according to a defence expert. On March 7, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the government was investigating the development of a new east coast-based hub to house nuclear-powered submarines Australia is due to acquire from the United Kingdom and the United States. Such a facility would be built from the ground up and will become a major employment, technology, and tourism hub—because of visiting allied vessels. Morrison outlined three potential sites for the base, Brisbane, Newcastle, or Port Kembla, the latter two being just north and south of Sydney. Funding for the base will be included in the upcoming federal budget, and a final decision made in 2023. “It shows the scale of this endeavour between Australia, the U.S. and the UK—because it will be a significant new …