Overview
- Australia has received the U.S. review of the AUKUS submarine partnership and is working through its findings, Richard Marles said.
- The Pentagon said the assessment identified opportunities to strengthen the pact, aligning with President Donald Trump’s guidance that it should proceed "full steam ahead."
- The review was led by Pentagon Under Secretary Elbridge Colby, who has previously highlighted U.S. submarine industrial capacity limits and the scarcity of nuclear-powered boats.
- U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan indicated the report could propose clarifications to address ambiguities in the original agreement.
- The delivery follows Australia’s move to establish a Defence Delivery Agency to accelerate major projects linked to AUKUS implementation.