Decision on Australian Nuclear Submarine Acquisition by Early 2023

Australia, UK and US (AUKUS) will announce the "optimal pathway" for Canberra to acquire nuclear powered, conventionally armed submarines by early 2023 at the end of the 18-month consultation period between the three partners.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III hosted Richard Marles, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Australia, and Ben Wallace, Secretary of State for Defence, United Kingdom, at the Pentagon yesterday to discuss the AUKUS partnership.
The Secretary of Defense, Deputy Prime Minister, and Secretary of State for Defence reviewed the significant progress to date on the trilateral effort to support Australia’s acquisition of conventionally-armed, nuclear powered submarines and the trilateral development of advanced capabilities, according to a Pentagon statement.
The Secretaries and Deputy Prime Minister highlighted the "exceptional progress" that has been made on trilateral efforts to identify the optimal path for Australia to acquire conventionally-armed, nuclear powered submarine capability at the earliest possible date.

During the visit to the US, the Australian Deputy Prime Minister visited General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) which manufactures Virginia-class nuclear submarines.
GDEB is preparing the manufacture of the submarine 'Arizona,' the 30th ship of the U.S. Navy’s Virginia-class fast attack submarines and the first to be equipped with the Virginia Payload Module (VPM).
The VPM comprises four large-diameter, vertical payload tubes in a new hull section inserted into the existing Virginia-class submarine design. The tubes enable the submarine to deliver a variety of capabilities, including weapons, unmanned undersea vehicles, and other undersea payloads.