A review by the Pentagon into the Aukus submarine pact has reportedly concluded that the deal will proceed as planned, according to Nikkei Asia. The report suggests the Trump administration will retain the original timeline for the $368bn programme, which includes the sale of three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines to Australia from 2032.
A US Department of Defense official declined to confirm the report, stating that the review is still under way and no further updates are available. However, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed confidence that Aukus has the support of both the US and the UK, the third partner in the pact.
The review, launched in June to assess whether the deal aligns with the Trump administration’s “America-first” agenda, is expected to be completed before Albanese’s scheduled face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump on 20 October. Concerns have been raised in the US about the capacity to supply submarines to Australia while meeting its own naval needs.
Australia has already transferred $1.6bn to support US shipbuilding, with delivery of the first Virginia-class boats in the early 2030s dependent on increased production. Meanwhile, the US has been urging Australia to raise defence spending to 3.5% of GDP, a move Albanese has resisted, insisting Australia will set its own spending levels.
