US congressman hails Australia’s alliance at future AUKUS submarine shipyard
AUKUS is “critical” to Australia’s defence, Assistant Defence Minister Peter Khalil has declared while spruiking it in Adelaide with visiting US congressmen.
US representatives Joe Courtney and Trent Kelly are in Australia for the Australian American Leadership Dialogue – an annual conference aimed at highlighting the deep ties between Canberra and Washington.
Both men are staunch supporters of the US-Australia alliance, including AUKUS, which the Trump Administration is reviewing.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Speaking to the media, Mr Kelly, a Republican like Donald Trump, said the bilateral relationship was like no other.
“Our relationship with our Australian partners is one that cannot be can’t be replicated,” he told reporters, standing alongside Mr Khalil and South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas.
“And so it’s important that we continue to grow as friends.
“I’ve seen that relationship over the last two or three years as AUKUS has matured, grow stronger and better.”
Mr Kelly was speaking from Osborne Naval Shipyard, where five nuclear-power AUKUS submarines will be built, assuming the US stays in the defence pact.
More than $1.5 billion in federal funds have already been pumped into preparing to build and maintain them.
Australia will also get at least three American-made Virginia-class submarines under the agreement.
Mr Khalil said the Albanese government welcomed the Trump administration’s review, declaring it “brings forward the issues that are actually important for us to discuss about how we can get the best out of this partnership”.
“The AUKUS partnership is something that is historic,” he said.
“It’s critical, it’s important.”
He went on to say the “advanced capability that we get out of the Virginia-class and the future AUKUS submarines is extremely important”.
“We’re talking about making sure that we have the ADF and the defence capability to deter and deny adversaries from negatively impacting our national interests, forcing others to come back to the negotiating table rather than using force,” Mr Khalil said.
“Investment in defence is about investment in peace.”
US President Donald Trump’s defence policy chief Elbridge Colby announced he was delaying the AUKUS review late last month and did not give a firm date for its completion.
Instead, Mr Colby, an AUKUS sceptic, said the review would be completed “in the fall” – much longer than the initial 30 days.
The delay comes as the Albanese government resists Washington’s demand to hike defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP in response to China’s rapid military build-up.
Announcing the delay, Mr Colby’s office said the AUKUS review would “be an empirical and clear-eyed assessment of the initiative’s alignment with President Trump’s America First approach”.
“As part of this process, the (US Department of Defence) looks forward to continuing regular engagements on this important matter with other parts of the US government, the US Congress, our allies Australia and the United Kingdom and other key stakeholders,” his office said.
“The department anticipates completing the review in the fall.
“Its purpose will be to provide the President and his senior leadership team with a fact-based, rigorous assessment of the initiative.”
Originally published as US congressman spruiks Australia relationship at future AUKUS shipyard
