Pentagon AUKUS report: US green lights subs pact but could soon refer to ally Australia as a ‘dependent’

A recently completed Pentagon review of AUKUS has affirmed the timeline for the ambitious nuclear-submarine endeavour, but another key US defence document is soon expected to refer to Australia as a “dependent” rather than an ally.

In June this year Washington launched a formal review into the AUKUS security partnership involving Australia, the UK and US, to ensure it aligned with the Trump administration’s “America first” agenda.

After nearly six months, the much-anticipated review has now been seen by members of the US congressional armed services committee and handed to the Albanese government, but the Pentagon does not intend to make the document public.

“Consistent with President Trump’s guidance that AUKUS should move ‘full steam ahead,’ the review identified opportunities to put AUKUS on the strongest possible footing,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on Thursday.

Democratic congressman Joe Courtney, who is on the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee and co-chairs the Friends of Australia Caucus, said the review confirmed the most contentious part of the deal – the transfer of three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, starting in 2032.

But the report overseen by US Under Secretary of Defence Elbridge Colby, a vocal AUKUS critic, also stressed that the agreement required all three partner countries to meet certain milestones in preparatory work.

“The report correctly determined that there are critical deadlines that all three countries have to meet, therefore maintaining disciplined adherence to schedule is paramount,” Mr Courtney said.

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy welcomed the developments, but denied the Pentagon was indicating some concerns at Australia’s progress on the $368 billion project.

“What I would characterise it as (is) being realistic and clear eyed about the challenges going forward. This is undertaking some of the most complex things humans do, and we need to make sure we have all the resources to do that.”

“This report has effectively confirmed what President Trump said in his historic meeting with Prime Minister Albanese, that AUKUS is full steam ahead and we’re getting on with it,” Mr Conroy told reporters.

However Japanese news outlet Nikkei on Friday reported that the Trump administration’s forthcoming “National Defence Strategy” would praise South Korea and Israel as “model allies” but not give Australia the same designation.

Citing sources familiar with the document, it said the NDS would be released in coming weeks and commend South Korea and Israel for acting as partners rather than dependents.

In contrast Japan, which hosts 54,000 active-duty US troops, and Australia, a member of both AUKUS and the Five Eyes alliance, will reportedly not receive the same designation.

During a recent South Korean National Day event in Washington, Secretary Colby praised the north Asian nation as the first treaty ally of the US, outside of NATO, to commit to the “3.5 per cent standard” for defence spending.

The ongoing US praise for South Korea is expected to increase pressure on Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who pledged in October to raise defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP by fiscal 2025, two years earlier than planned.

Greens Senator David Shoebridge has seized on the Nikkei report, warning the upcoming US National Defence Strategy makes it clear that Washington is seeking more military spending from Australia, particularly on US-made weapons.

“By hook or by crook the Trump administration plans to extract more out of Albanese, using whatever leverage they can to achieve this,” Senator Shoebridge told The Nightly.

“Whatever the official AUKUS review says, it’s clear that key US players are still focussed on squeezing billions more in US defence contracts out of Australia.”

Under the AUKUS partnership Australia is also contributing $US3 billion in cash to help bolster the US submarine industrial sector, with at least $US1 billion so far handed over by the Albanese government.During a recent White House meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, President Trump did not criticise Australia’s lower defence spending levels as expected, telling reporters “I’d always like more”.

“But they have to do what they have to do, you can only do so much,” he said in October while also praising the AUKUS partnership.