The United States is set to complete its review of the AUKUS defence pact with the United Kingdom and Australia by the northern hemisphere autumn, according to the Pentagon. The review, announced in June by President Donald Trump’s administration, focuses on the multibillion-dollar agreement enabling Australia to acquire U.S. nuclear-powered submarines, sparking concerns in Canberra over potential delays.
The pact, originally signed in 2021 under President Joe Biden, represents Australia’s largest defence initiative, with Canberra committing A$368 billion ($240 billion) over three decades. The program includes significant investment in U.S. submarine production infrastructure. Earlier this month, Australia made an A$800 million payment to the U.S. as part of its obligations under the agreement.
Leading the review is Elbridge Colby, U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, who has publicly questioned the pact’s feasibility. Colby’s office stated on X that the assessment will be “empirical and clear-eyed,” providing the president with a rigorous, fact-based evaluation of the deal’s viability.
Colby previously noted that U.S. submarine production remains limited, raising doubts about meeting both American and Australian demands. Despite these challenges, Australia and Britain have reinforced their commitment to AUKUS by signing a new 50-year bilateral submarine agreement, further deepening defence ties among the three nations.
The outcome of the review will be closely watched by global defence and security analysts, given AUKUS’s significance in countering growing strategic challenges in the Indo-Pacific region and enhancing trilateral military cooperation.