Pentagon to sell submarines to Australia
The Chronify
The U.S. Pentagon has confirmed that it has approved the AUKUS security agreement with the United Kingdom and Australia. Under this agreement, Australia will receive at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines within the next 15 years.
Earlier this year, the administration of Donald Trump announced that it was reviewing the nuclear-powered attack submarine deal signed in 2021 under former President Joe Biden.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement that the Department of Defense had completed its five-month review. The review endorsed the AUKUS agreement and determined that it is “consistent with President Trump’s America First agenda.”
According to President Trump’s directive, AUKUS should “move full speed ahead,” and the review identified opportunities to place AUKUS on the strongest possible footing.
Congressman Joe Courtney, the top Democrat on the U.S. House Subcommittee on Seapower, said the completion of the review confirms that the structure of the agreement aligns with the country’s national security interests.
With the review now completed, it is notable that the 2021 AUKUS agreement has survived changes in the governments of all three countries and still remains robust.
The submarines are scheduled to begin delivery in 2032. They are central to Australia’s strategy to enhance its long-range strike capability in the Indo-Pacific, particularly against China. The deal could cost Canberra up to US$235 billion over the next 30 years, and will also include future technology for building its own vessels.
