Conroy, Hicks discuss ‘unbreakable alliance’ between Australia and US

They also identified areas for further cooperation, including in the Pacific Islands.

During the meeting, the United States confirmed that Conroy and Hicks committed to their “ironclad alliance”, committing to deepening cooperation with regional allies to support a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The meeting comes as concerns have mounted in recent weeks over data indicating that the production of Virginia Class submarines has declined to fewer than two per year. The drop suggests that Australia will be two to three years late in receiving their first Virginia Class submarine from the United States.

Minister Conroy explained that he expects his visit to the United States to further deepen AUKUS collaboration which includes the delivery of Australia’s first nuclear-powered submarines.

His visit will include a visit to the HII Virginia Class shipyard.

In a recent release, the minister downplayed concerns over the delay in Virginia Class construction.

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“Our recent announcement of the build and sustainment partners for Australia’s conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines marked an important milestone for the development of supply chains and workforce with the United States and United Kingdom, building our collective industrial capacity and more robust and resilient supply chains,” the minister’s office released.

“This follows the passage of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act through the US Congress in December last year, which demonstrated unprecedented support for the AUKUS partnership, including through scientific, technological and industrial cooperation.”

The defence industry minister has also added the Sea-Air-Space Exposition to his US itinerary, joining a roundtable on how businesses can undertake work in the United States and providing updates on the AUKUS initiative. His trip will also include visits to members of the Biden administration, Congress, and the World Bank to support development in the Pacific.

Sixty companies are expected to exhibit at the Australian Pavilion at the exposition.

Liam Garman

Editor – Defence and Security, Momentum Media

Liam began his career as a speech writer at New South Wales Parliament before working for world leading campaigns and research agencies in Sydney and Auckland. Throughout his career, Liam has managed and executed international media and communications campaigns spanning politics, business, industrial relations and infrastructure. He’s since shifted his attention to researching and writing extensively on geopolitics and defence. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Sydney and a Masters in Strategy and Security with Excellence from UNSW Canberra, with a thesis on post-truth, postmodernism and disinformation operations.

 

Reach out to Liam via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via LinkedIn.