The early Pentagon footprint in this lengthy AUKUS pact is significant. This trilateral security pact, known as AUKUS, includes Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Further background Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby is in charge of the review. Done right, it should be a starting point toward making the agreement support the “America First” agenda preached by the current administration. This announcement comes at a time of increasing worries about the U.S. capacity to sustain its current military fleet and meet future submarine-building goals.
In September 2021, President Joe Biden launched the trilateral AUKUS pact. Per the terms of this trilateral agreement, Australia agreed to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, with costs expected to be well over $350 billion dollars. This deal caused a political crisis recently when it led Australia to scuttle its current plan to purchase conventional submarines from France. The ruling has come under fire from all sides.
Former Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull has been vocally critical of the AUKUS deal. He paningly condemned it, dubbing it “unfair and risky.” He then gave his sharp appraisal, stating, “This is the worst deal I’ve ever done.” His public comments underscored deeply rooted and moderate concerns over the pact’s effects on Australia’s defense capabilities.
Inspite of this criticism, the AUKUS agreement has received bipartisan support across all three participating countries. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed enthusiastic support for the agreement. He underscores its strategic value in addressing future regional security threats.
Even as the review plays out, U.S. defense officials have been insistent that service members should remain prepared. They put an emphasis on the fact that allies need to do their fair share for common defense measures. According to a senior defense official, “As Secretary Pete Hegseth has repeatedly told us, we need to make our service members the most ready, and our allies should be all in on collective defense, and the defense industrial base should be equipped to supply us.”
Serious questions remain about America’s ability to deliver on its own military needs. The U.S. has not met a single one of its submarine-building goals in recent years. This results in serious questions regarding its capacity to efficiently aid close partners such as Australia under the AUKUS umbrella.
Journalists have contacted the British government for confirmation that they are still reviewing the AUKUS pact. They’ve yet to release any of the responses.
