AUKUS: US Defence Department conducting review of pact, could be 'more sustainable'
The US Defence Department is continuing to conduct a review of the AUKUS project to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines, the nominee to be the Pentagon’s senior official for the Indo-Pacific region says.
The Pentagon has been investigating the AUKUS pact to ensure it aligns with President Donald Trump’s “America first” agenda.
The US has promised to sell at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines to Canberra from the early 2030s, while Britain and Australia will later build a new AUKUS-class submarine.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.John Noh is serving at the Pentagon as Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asia and has been nominated to be Assistant Secretary.
He told his confirmation hearing at the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that US submarine production needs to rise from 1.2 Virginia-class submarines a year to 2.33 annually to meet AUKUS obligations.
He said there were things the AUKUS partners - the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom - can do to make AUKUS more sustainable.
He believed Pentagon Under Secretary Elbridge Colby and Defence Chief Pete Hegseth would have the opportunity to discuss specific recommendations on this.
When asked by Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen why the review, which began in July, was taking so long, Mr Noh reiterated past Pentagon statements that the department planned to conclude it “by this fall”.
Mr Noh noted that both Australia and the United Kingdom had conducted reviews.
Roger Wicker, the Republican chairman of the Senate committee, said the US review had come “as a surprise to this committee, to the Congress and to the general public, and as a distressing surprise to our steadfast ally, Australia”.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed confidence last month that AUKUS, the biggest defence initiative in Australia history will move forward.
He is due to meet US President Donald Trump on October 20 in Washington, with the project likely to top his agenda.
The review by Mr Colby sparked speculation Mr Trump could walk away from the deal, which is estimated to cost up to $368 billion over 30 years.
with AAP
