Australian Officials Express Confidence as US Reviews AUKUS Submarine Deal
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said Thursday they remain confident in the trilateral AUKUS submarine agreement despite a 30-day review launched by the Trump administration.
Both officials described the review as routine for new governments, with Marles telling radio listeners that "chopping and changing" defense capabilities would make Australia's strategic situation worse.
"I'm very confident this is going to happen," Marles said during a radio interview Thursday morning. "There's a treaty level agreement between our three countries."
The review comes as Australia prepares to invest billions in nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS partnership with the United States and United Kingdom, with South Australia set to host the nation's submarine building capability.
Malinauskas told ABC News Australia the review should not surprise anyone, noting similar exercises have occurred after government changes in all three AUKUS nations.
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