Pentagon review set to endorse AUKUS before Albanese’s US visit: Nikkei
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The news: The Pentagon’s review of AUKUS is set to endorse the sale of US submarines to Australia, Nikkei Asia reported citing unnamed officials.
The review will be finalised before Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visits the White House on 20 October to meet US President Donald Trump, according to the report.
An official from a member country told Nikkei Asia that “AUKUS is safe” and that while industrial delays could affect delivery, no political decision has been made to alter the submarine schedule.
The plan will reportedly maintain the original timeline, with Washington selling at least three Virginia-class submarines to Canberra beginning in 2032.
The context: The AUKUS pact was launched in 2021 under Joe Biden to replace Australia’s Collins-class submarines with nuclear-powered vessels.
The review, led by the US Under-Secretary of Defence for Policy Elbridge Colby, assessed whether the plan aligned with America's interests, including whether providing the Virginia-class submarines to Australia could strain the US defence industrial base and reduce its own military strength.
Australia will spend up to $368 billion over three decades to acquire eight Virginia-class submarines, making the first of six USD500 million ($760 million) payments in February 2025. It has also committed funding to upgrade US shipbuilding facilities and to expand dock infrastructure in Western Australia.
The source: Nikkei Asia
