A Pentagon nominee told senators the U.S. Defense Department continues to review the AUKUS submarine project with Australia, citing strategic priorities.
The candidate for assistant secretary is John Noh, who is now the deputy assistant secretary for East Asia at the Pentagon. According to him, in order to fulfill its duties under the AUKUS, the United States must increase its submarine production from 1.2 Virginia-class submarines per year to 2.33.
He said that the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, as AUKUS's allies, might take certain actions to strengthen AUKUS' credibility and sustainability. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Under Secretary Elbridge Colby would have the chance to talk about specific suggestions on this.
In response to Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen's question about why the July-started investigation was taking so long, Noh restated earlier Pentagon claims that the department intended to wrap it up "by this fall."
Noh pointed out that reviews had been done in the UK and Australia. The Senate committee's Republican chairman, Roger Wicker, stated that the U.S. inquiry had come "as a surprise to this committee, to the Congress and to the general public, and as a distressing surprise to our steadfast ally, Australia."
Last month, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was certain that AUKUS, the country's largest defense project, will proceed. The project is probably going to be the main item on his agenda when he meets with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on October 20.
The United States will sell Canberra a number of Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS, while Britain and Australia will thereafter construct a new AUKUS-class submarine.
How could the Pentagon review affect AUKUS delivery timelines?
The U.S. is struggling to ramp up its Virginia-class submarine production from nearly 1.2 submarines per year to the estimated 2.33 per year to meet AUKUS commitments. This production ramp-up will be vital for the U.S. to provide Australia with its first three to five Virginia-class submarines in the early 2030s.
The review is concerned with evaluating affordability, industrial capacity, and strategic priorities with regards to the new Trump administration's "America First" policy. This review, if followed through, could lead to suggestions for better scheduling or some reallocation of resources in order to maintain deadlines.
Australian officials continue to express confidence that the AUKUS project "is progressing at the pace of the intended" and that all milestones are currently being achieved in the timeframe expected.