Australia remains confident in the AUKUS security pact, despite concerns from a top Trump official regarding the military deal.
The review was first reported by US defense officials who stated that reassessing the pact is necessary to ensure it aligns with US President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda. The pact includes a deal worth hundreds of billions of dollars to provide Australia with nuclear propulsion technology, which is closely guarded. Only five other countries outside of the US have the capability to build nuclear submarines: the UK, China, Russia, France, and India.
Marles stated in an interview with ABC Network that the meetings with the United States regarding AUKUS have been positive. A review of the deal is seen as a natural step by an incoming administration, and Australia remains committed to the plan and will see it through.
Under the terms of the AUKUS deal, Australia and the UK will collaborate with the US in designing nuclear-class submarines for delivery to Australia in the 2040s. The three countries are close military allies and share intelligence, with AUKUS focusing on countering the rise of China and its expansion into the Pacific.
Due to the long construction period under the AUKUS deal, Australia has also agreed to purchase up to three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the 2030s. The US and UK plan to begin the rotational deployment of their submarines out of Australia in 2027.
However, some Trump administration officials have expressed concerns that the submarine deal prioritizes foreign governments over US national security. Pentagon policy adviser Elbridge Colby raised questions about the decision to “give away” this technology when it is most needed. On the other hand, others, including US Representative Joe Courtney from Connecticut, argue that the deal is in the best interest of all three AUKUS nations and the Indo-Pacific region as a whole.
Abandoning AUKUS could harm the nation’s standing with close allies and would be met with celebration in Beijing, according to Courtney. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to discuss the deal with Trump during the G7 leaders meeting in Canada next week.
Australia made a $500 million payment towards AUKUS earlier this year and plans to spend $2 billion this year to accelerate the production of Virginia-class submarines in the US. The UK has also downplayed concerns about the Trump administration potentially reversing the pact, stating that it is a strategically significant partnership that will also bring jobs and economic growth to communities in all three nations.
