US, Australia move full steam ahead on trillion-dollar AUKUS submarine deal

The Pentagon has concluded its review of the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership and identified ways to place the agreement on its “strongest possible footing,” according to a U.S. official, cited by Reuters.

The formal review, initiated in June by President Donald Trump’s administration, examined the trilateral AUKUS defence deal, valued at hundreds of billions of dollars, which will enable Australia to acquire U.S. nuclear-powered submarines and also involves Britain.

“Consistent with President Trump’s guidance that AUKUS should move ‘full steam ahead,’ the review identified opportunities to strengthen the program,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed that Canberra had received the United States’ review of the nuclear submarine partnership and is currently “working through it.”

The announcement initially raised concerns in Australia, but those worries were alleviated when Trump reaffirmed his support for the program during a White House meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in October.

The review was overseen by the Pentagon’s Under Secretary Elbridge Colby, who previously noted that nuclear submarines are a scarce and strategically critical resource and that U.S. industry cannot produce enough vessels to meet domestic demand.

AUKUS represents Australia’s largest defence project to date, with Canberra committing approximately A$368 billion ($240 billion) over the next 30 years. The program also includes billions of dollars in investment in U.S. submarine production capabilities.

By Tamilla Hasanova