The United States has begun reviewing the participation of states in the AUKUS defence project with the United Kingdom and Australia, which includes the construction of submarines, to ensure compliance with the current administration’s policy.
The Pentagon has reportedly begun reviewing the US role in the multi-billion dollar AUKUS project with Britain and Australia, which involves the joint development of hypersonic weapons and nuclear submarines and was conceived as a counterweight to China in the Pacific region. The Biden administration signed the agreement four years ago.
According to two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, the review of the agreement has been entrusted to Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, who has been sceptical about the cost of the programme. In particular, he criticised the clause on the sale of three Virginia-class submarines to Australia after 2032, arguing that this would “weaken the position” of the US Navy.
One of the sources said that this was an opportunity for the Pentagon to “ensure that these efforts are in line with the Trump administration’s priorities.” The sources did not say what changes might be made to the project or when an assessment of the review would be available.
At the same time, the AUKUS project is known to have strong support in Congress. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also spoke favourably about it.
Review of the AUKUS agreement
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also announced a review of the agreement after the Labour Party won last year’s election. The UK will soon unveil plans to spend up to £12 billion on building new submarines as part of the AUKUS project.
The AUKUS agreement was supported by the US Congress and most experts. However, a number of specialists criticised it because it jeopardises the country’s security: the US Navy is currently struggling to produce large numbers of submarines amid growing tensions with Beijing. Australia and the UK have agreed to jointly produce SSN-AUKUS attack submarines, which will enter service in the early 2040s.
Earlier in June, Australian Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles met with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in Singapore, where the Pentagon chief asked Australia to increase its defence spending to 3.5% of GDP as soon as possible.
