Joe Biden gifts sunglasses to Anthony Albanese after the AUKUS submarine deal

Anthony Albanese has taken to Instagram to show off his new aviator sunglasses given to him by US President Joe Biden.

The Australian Prime Minister, 60, appeared to have befriended his new friend Biden, 80, after they appeared together at a navel base in San Diego to reveal details of the historic AUKUS security pact.

“Thanks for the gift @JoeBiden,” Mr Albanese wrote.

Biden was photographed wearing a pair of similar sunglasses during the official AUKUS press conference – though it is not known if these were the same pair given to Albanians.

Many commentators drew comparisons to the 1980s movie Top Gun starring Tom Cruise as a Navy fighter pilot and its 2022 sequel Maverick in which the actor is famous for similar shades.

Commentators joked that the prime minister looked like he was trying to land a role in the Top Gun movies

“You’ve been called back to Top Gun,” someone said.

“Yes, for stealing Biden’s glasses,” added another.

“And thus a new meme template was born,” joked a third.

At the AUKUS meeting this week, it was announced that Australia will command a fleet of eight nuclear-powered submarines within the next three decades under an accelerated plan.

In an effort to deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific, Canberra will procure three US Virginia-class nuclear submarines from about 2033 as a stopgap, before launching a new SSN AUKUS-class hybrid ship ten years later. Australian waters arrive.

The cost to taxpayers of the trilateral agreement with the US and UK will be a staggering $268 to $368 billion over the next three decades.

The plan will cut $9 billion from the budget over the next four years and $50-58 billion within ten years.

The annual cost will then be about 0.15 percent of GDP until the mid-1950s, but there are warnings about the accuracy of the forecasts because of the unpredictability of inflation over three decades.

Every three years, a US submarine will roll off the line for Australia before the new AUKUS class will be built at a similar rate from 2042 onwards. The sale requires congressional approval.

Biden wore similar sunglasses — perhaps the same ones — at the AUKUS press conference earlier this week

US President Joe Biden (center) and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) at Point Loma Naval Base in California

Australia is about to get nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS agreement (Photo: A BAE rendering of what the submarines could look like)

Australia’s top ministers are trying to allay concerns about Australia’s procurement of nuclear-powered submarines by making dozens of calls to Chinese counterparts as the communist powerhouse continues a disinformation campaign.

Foreign Secretary Penny Wong said Australia has an impeccable record of nuclear non-proliferation.

“We will fulfill our obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, under the Treaty of Rarotonga, to the highest standard,” said Senator Wong.

“We will make sure that we … have the highest standards when it comes to the safety of the construction of this facility.”