“Gifts” Dispatched to Australia Aimed at Surveillance of Their Nuclear Submarine Program

On February 19, 2025, Mike Burgess, the Australian intelligence chief, told the press that the nuclear submarine program had been targeted by spying attempts, even adding that the country's security level had deteriorated For some time.

“Gifts” trapped

The end apparently justifies the means. And to obtain information about the program of Australian nuclear submarines which has been made, remember, to the detriment of France and the broken agreement with the company Naval Group, some countries used a technique making think of the Trojan horse of antiquity.

Without appointing the countries involved in these espionage attempts, the Australian intelligence chief, however, specified the methods used to achieve this.

“” “Many countries are tirelessly looking to obtain information on our military capacities. Defense staff are targeted in person and online. Some recently received gifts from their international counterparts. These gifts contained hidden monitoring devices.“He said at a conference.

Furthermore, according to information from Mike Burgess, attempts to spy on the nuclear submarine program could also come from friendly countries. But again, no entity has been truly named.

Nuclear submarines at the center of future tensions?

Currently, the Australian nuclear submarine program has not yet delivered its precious devices. The first of them, a class submarine Virginia, should be delivered in 2030, even if delays, at least two years, are envisaged.

And a particular country does not see a very good eye, the delivery of these sophisticated devices in the Pacific region: China. Indeed, the Middle Kingdom, which has greatly strengthened militarily in recent years, notably with aircraft carriers and submarines, had ardently criticized the Aukus pact between the three countries about these nuclear submarines .

The country which plays the big arms in particular against Taiwan and which is under significant economic sanctions from the Trump administration had considered that the delivery of nuclear submarines to Australia could be a threat to its safety .

In this sense, and faced with the latest espionage attempts revealed by Australian intelligence, the country of Oceania fears that its program aimed at strengthening its army is, by 2030, no longer under the attempted surveillance, but sabotage.

Source : Reuters / The dispatch