WHAT IS AUKUS?
* AUKUS is a partnership between Australia, the US and UK
* Pillar I supports Australia’s acquisition of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines
* Under the $368 billion program, Australia will buy at least three Virginia-class submarines from the US in the early 2030s
* A new class of nuclear-powered vessels will be built in Adelaide for delivery from the 2040s * Pillar II is aimed at wider technological cooperation
WHY A REVIEW?
* The Pentagon will consider whether AUKUS is in line with US President Donald Trump’s “America First” vision * The US submarine industrial base is under pressure and is not producing enough boats to meet demand * The deal was signed under the former Biden administration in 2021 WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID * “Chopping and changing guarantees you will never have the capability. There is a plan here, we are sticking to it and we’re going to deliver it.”
– Defence Minister Richard Marles
* “To abandon AUKUS … would cause lasting harm to our nation’s standing with close allies and certainly be met with great rejoicing in Beijing.”
– US Congressman Joe Courtney * “The decision by the United States to initiate a review of the AUKUS agreement might very well be the moment Washington saves Australia from itself.”
– Former Labor prime minister Paul Keating
Source: AAP
