The United States has endorsed the AUKUS security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the US, following a five-month Pentagon review that the department said identified opportunities to put the deal on the “strongest possible footing”.
US President Donald Trump’s administration said earlier this year it was reviewing the 2021 deal, signed under his predecessor Joe Biden.
Australia is set to acquire at least three nuclear-powered attack submarines from the United States by the early 2030s, with plans to eventually construct its own submarines utilizing American technology.
“The purpose of the review was to identify opportunities to strengthen AUKUS and ensure its long-term success, in alignment with President Trump’s ‘America first’ agenda,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on Friday.
“Following President Trump’s directive for AUKUS to advance ‘full steam ahead,’ the review pinpointed ways to firmly establish AUKUS,” stated Parnell.
US Congressman Joe Courtney, who co-leads the Friends of Australia Caucus, noted that the review supports the $368 billion agreement.
“I have no doubt that AUKUS is meeting every milestone we’ve established, and this review supports that progress,” he expressed.
Courtney added that the report determined there were “critical deadlines” that all three countries would have to meet, and that “maintaining disciplined adherence to schedule is paramount”.
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said on Friday that he was pleased the US review had confirmed that AUKUS was “full steam ahead”.
“We’ll engage constructively with its findings and its recommendations on how to improve AUKUS even further,” Conroy told reporters.
“I’m confident, so far, AUKUS is hitting every single milestone that we’ve set it and this review confirms that.”
The government is considering the report ahead of crucial talks in Washington next week between Defence Minister Richard Marles and his US counterpart Pete Hegseth.
Marles said on Thursday that Australia is “working through” the review, which has been handed to the Albanese government but has not been made public.
Conroy said on Friday it was up to the US to decide whether to release the document publicly.
“We’re working through the review right now, and we’ve said publicly over the last two years where we can improve delivery, improve performance of AUKUS, we will do that.”
