US President Donald Trump has guaranteed the commitment under the AUKUS agreement, which includes the sharing of nuclear-powered submarine technology with Australia and the United Kingdom, ending the uncertainty that arose after the Pentagon’s review.
At a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Washington on Monday, President Trump confirmed that the nuclear submarines promised to Australia under the agreement are already under construction.
“Anthony [Albanese] and I have set everything up, we’ve worked long and hard on this, and we’re starting that process now, and I think the process is moving really fast and really well,” Trump told reporters. In response to questions, he also confirmed that the process of supplying submarines to Australia is being accelerated and said: “We are doing it.”
Pentagon Review and Concerns Allayed
The President’s clear statements ended months of speculation following an unexpected review announced by the Pentagon in June. At the time, a Pentagon spokesman said the review was intended to “ensure that this initiative by the previous administration was consistent with the President’s America First agenda”. The move was reported to have caused uneasiness among the Australian allies.
Trump stated that the agreement would no longer be subject to a large-scale review and said, “There should be no further announcements, because we are continuing full steam ahead with construction right now.”
Commitments and Technological Leap
According to the AUKUS agreement, the US made the following commitments to Australia:
- in the 2030s: Three Virginia-class fast attack submarines will be delivered.
- 2040s: Five new generation nuclear attack submarines will be delivered.
These submarines represent a significant technological leap forward for the Royal Australian Navy, which already operates Collins-class diesel-electric submarines. Australian sailors are training under the US Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion Programme to learn how to maintain and operate nuclear-powered ships.
Doubts about the future of the deal had been clouded not only by the Pentagon review, but also by US lawmakers’ concerns about the lagging state of Navy shipbuilding. However, this summer the US signed a $5 billion contract to accelerate ship production, and efforts were stepped up to speed up the production process.
