EDITORIAL: Time for renewed commitment from three AUKUS nations
AUKUS continues to be hit with niggling concerns about its progress or even its continuation. The countries’ three leaders need to get together, stand together and recommit to erase any doubts.
It was one of those cringeworthy political moments.
It was 2021 and then United States president Joe Biden stood in front of the flags of the US, Britain and Australia.
Appearing on a screen on one side of Mr Biden was then British prime minister Boris Johnson.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.On a screen on the other side was then Australian leader Scott Morrison.
The occasion was the announcement of AUKUS, the new trilateral security partnership.
During the announcement, Mr Biden expressed his gratitude to the British prime minister.
“Thank you, Boris,” he said.
Then it was time to thank Mr Morrison. But it seemed he forgot the name of the Australian leader.
“And I want to thank that fellow Down Under. Thank you very much pal,” Mr Biden said. “Appreciate it Mr Prime Minister.”
It was a less than auspicious start to a deal under which nuclear-powered submarines from the US and UK are scheduled to begin regular rotations out of WA’s HMAS Stirling next year, before the Royal Australian Navy hopes to acquire its own Virginia-class boats early next decade.
As part of preparations, WA’s Henderson shipyard is being developed into a massive new Defence precinct.
But there have been regular occasions since the first announcement in which a shadow has been thrown over the agreement.
One of those was the election of Donald Trump to replace Mr Biden, leading to concerns the unpredictable new President would pull the plug on the deal.
That fear was seemingly ratcheted up in February last year when Mr Trump needed to be prompted about what AUKUS was at one of his famous and utterly fraught appearances in front of the media at the White House.
Mr Trump was asked whether he intended to discuss the AUKUS alliance in his meeting with visiting new British prime minister Keir Starmer.
“What does that mean?” Mr Trump responded. “AUKUS — the Australia-US defence alliance,” the reporter explained.
The pact was seemingly put on the right track when Mr Trump declared at a media conference that included Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in October last year that the agreement was going “full steam ahead” and described new submarine facilities south of Perth as “magnificent”.
Nevertheless moments of doubt have continued to appear.
In June it emerged that the US had changed its mind over which submarines should be transferred to Australia — and that Australia would now be acquiring three “in service” submarines starting in 2032, rather than two second-hand and one brand-new boat.
And on Wednesday Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said the plan for US submarine rotations through WA as part of Submarine Rotational Force West were scheduled to last only five years from 2027.
The rotational presence would come to an end as Australia acquired its own nuclear-powered submarines.
Opposition defence spokesman James Paterson said Mr Conroy had served the US Navy “an eviction notice”.
AUKUS continues to be hit with niggling concerns about its progress or even its continuation.
The countries’ three leaders need to get together, stand together and recommit to erase any doubts.
