A crowd-funded public inquiry into Australia’s $368 billion AUKUS submarine pact is set to hear expert warnings that the country is “completely unprepared” for a worst-case radiation emergency at HMAS Stirling, the naval base in Western Australia slated to host nuclear-powered submarines. Witnesses will describe scenarios of “twisted steel, shattered structures” — language designed to convey the gap between the scale of the commitment and the current state of Australia’s emergency preparedness infrastructure. The inquiry adds fuel to an already contentious debate about the cost, timeline, and safety implications of the trilateral defense agreement.
Walter Murrow
July 1, 2026
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