Overview

• The UK government has committed to constructing up to 12 conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines for AUKUS, with the first scheduled to enter service in the late 2030s.
• Britain’s Infrastructure and Major Projects Authority warned that current plans to build the submarines’ nuclear reactor cores appear unachievable under existing timelines and budgets.
• US shipyards are already up to three years behind on Virginia-class submarine builds, risking delays to Australia’s first American-made boat now slated for the early 2030s.
• Australia’s defence minister, Richard Marles, maintains that AUKUS timelines remain on track and has increased US and UK submarine visits to bolster capability.
• US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has urged Australia to raise defence spending to 3.5 percent of GDP to address what he describes as an imminent threat from China.