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Pentagon launches review of Aukus submarine treaty
The Independent
|June 13, 2025
Donald Trump orders urgent study of pact with Australia and the UK, fearing it does not fit with his 'America First' agenda
The US is reviewing its multibillion-dollar Aukus nuclear submarine deal with the UK and Australia to decide whether it fits Donald Trump's "America First" agenda.
A Pentagon official said the 2021 deal was being reviewed ahead of talks with Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese at the upcoming G7 summit in Alberta, Canada. The summit starts tomorrow.
The $240bn (£176bn) Aukus agreement involving Australia, the US and the UK is a strategic security partnership aimed primarily at helping Australia acquire nuclear submarines using US and British technology.
Under Aukus, Australia was scheduled to make a $2bn payment in 2025 to the US to help boost its submarine shipyards and speed up lagging production rates of Virginia-class submarines to allow the sale of up to three US submarines to Australia from 2032.
The first $500m payment was made when Australian defence minister Richard Marles met with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in February. Mr Marles said yesterday that Canberra was confident the pact would proceed and that their government would closely work with the Trump administration.
This story is from the June 13, 2025 edition of The Independent.
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