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The US Department of Defense has been directed to undertake a review of the AUKUS initiative, following speculation that US defence official Elbridge Colby was completing a 30-day review.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has directed the Department of Defense to undertake a review of the AUKUS initiative, according to a public statement made earlier this week.
Australia is intended to acquire three Virginia Class submarines purchased from the US under the AUKUS agreement in the early 2030s. Another five SSN-AUKUS submarines are envisioned to be built in Australia and the United Kingdom.
“This review will be a department-wide process, led by the under secretary of defense for policy. It will be an empirical and clear-eyed assessment of the initiative’s alignment with President Trump’s America First approach,” according to the US Department of Defense.
“As part of this process, the department looks forward to continuing regular engagements on this important matter with other parts of the US government, the US Congress, our allies Australia and the United Kingdom, and other key stakeholders.
“The department anticipates completing the review in the fall. Its purpose will be to provide the president and his senior leadership team with a fact-based rigorous assessment of the initiative.”
The existence of an AUKUS review, undertaken by US official Elbridge Colby, had previously been leaked to the media earlier this year.
The review will reportedly be completed in September or November this year.
