AUKUS Deal Under Review: US To Reassess Submarine Pact With Australia And UK

The United States has launched a formal review of the AUKUS submarine pact with Australia and the United Kingdom, to determine whether it aligns with the Trump administration’s “America First” priorities, according to a US defence official cited by the BBC.

A senior Pentagon official said the review is being undertaken “as part of ensuring that this initiative of the previous administration is aligned with the President’s America First agenda," reported Indian Express.

The review is being led by Elbridge Colby, a senior official at the Department of Defence and a noted critic of the agreement, who has previously questioned the logic of sharing what he called the “crown jewel” of US military technology amid rising global tensions.

Australia has responded to the review with confidence.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles told ABC Radio Melbourne that the AUKUS pact is vital to Australia's long-term security.

“I’m very confident this is going to happen,” he said.

Marles said the review is not unexpected.

“There will be governments that come and go and I think whenever we see a new government, a review of this kind is going to be something which will be undertaken,” he noted.

The AUKUS agreement, signed in 2021 under then-President Joe Biden, is a trilateral security pact aimed at countering China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific.

It allows Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines using US and UK technology.

As per the deal, Australia will purchase up to three second-hand Virginia-class submarines from the US in the 2030s, with an option for two more.

A new class of AUKUS submarines will eventually be co-developed and produced by Australia and the UK.

Valued at $368 billion Australian dollars (US $239 billion) over 30 years, the agreement is expected to generate thousands of defence manufacturing jobs.

Australia paid the first Australian $500 million of a scheduled Australian $2 billion contribution to US submarine shipyards earlier this year.

The US review will also examine production delays in the Virginia-class submarines, which have fallen behind schedule.

Marles acknowledged the issue, saying, “It is important that those production and sustainment rates are improved.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to meet President Donald Trump during the upcoming G7 summit in Canada, where both AUKUS and burden-sharing are likely to feature prominently in discussions.