Donald Trump’s Australian ambassador David Brat lauds progress of AUKUS submarine project

Donald Trump’s newly arrived ambassador to Australia praised the “incredible” AUKUS project and predicted young people will soon also get swept up in the “excitement” of the $368 billion nuclear-powered submarine endeavour.

US Ambassador David Brat toured the visiting Virigina-class submarine USS Colorado, which is undergoing scheduled maintenance at HMAS Stirling Naval base on Perth’s outskirts.

“It’s an absolute honour to be in Australia,” the former two-term Republican congressman said in one of his first public appearances since taking up the high-profile diplomatic posting to Canberra in late September.

“And the one thing I wanted to do right off the bat is thank all of the armed services folks from both sides, Australia and the United States, in the room with us today,” the ambassador said standing alongside acting Prime Minister Richard Marles.

After meeting personnel stationed at HMAS Stirling naval base, the conservative former economics professor declared: “the talent and the human capital embedded in these people is just simply incredible”.

“I studied economics way back when I was young. One third of economic growth is attributable to human capital, right? So, a third is capital, a third is technical growth, but a third human capital.”

“You’re not going to see any more technology embedded innovation in human capital than in this project right here. Right. And it’s going to spread. And then when the young people in Australia and the United States see the excitement here and what military is doing and how we’re all sharing together, it’s incredible.”

As well as describing AUKUS as an “incredible positive story of working together”, Ambassador Brat talked up the deterrence value of the military alliance between Australia and the United States.

“The US is sharing 100 per cent. This is team ball with Australia. Australia is sharing with us. The alliance is large, and with all of us working together, we feel a strong sense of deterrence,” Mr Brat said.

“That’s the way we view the AUKUS project. It’s complete team ball across the board. The subs were sharing, its interoperability across both of our militaries working together, working on the subs in port, sharing the technology together”.

This year The West Australian newspaper reported that US officials were privately alarmed at the protection levels of Australian bases, including HMAS Stirling and RAAF Base Darwin, where significant numbers of US personnel and military assets will soon operate.

Under the first stage of the ambitious AUKUS program, American and British nuclear-powered submarines will begin regular deployments to WA next year, before Australia acquires second-hand Virginia-class boats from the US in the 2030s.

Then finally in the 2040s Australia is hoping to begin operating a new fleet of locally built nuclear-powered submarines based on a British design to be known as SSN-AUKUS.

At HMAS Stirling, Mr Marles and Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy also confirmed $88 million would be spent creating a future AUKUS workforce amid ongoing warnings of a local skills crisis.

The 2026 Nuclear‑Powered Submarine Workforce Strategy aims to boost training and employment opportunities for up to 275 apprentices and trainees in submarines and shipbuilding in Western Australia and South Australia over the next six years.

During Thursday’s visit to HMAS Stirling, Ministers Marles and Conroy also expressed confidence that WA-based company Austal would be able to remain Australia’s Strategic Shipbuilder, despite a potential takeover of its larger US subsidiary.

“They’re effectively two separate entities in the way they operate due to the requirements of US legislation,” the Defence Industry Minister told reporters.

“So, we’re very confident, no matter what happens in the United States, that Austal Australia will continue to serve as our strategic shipbuilder, and they’re undergoing a massive growth in capability and skilled workforce.”