AUKUS on track but faces big challenges at five
Five years into the AUKUS pact, former officials from Australia, the US, and the UK acknowledge progress while highlighting significant challenges. Key issues include workforce shortages and delays in US submarine construction.
Why it matters
The AUKUS agreement is a cornerstone of Indo-Pacific security strategy, and its implementation challenges have major geopolitical implications.
Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump discussed plans to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines in October. ( Reuters: Kevin Lamarque )
Former top defence officials from Australia, the US, and the UK have assessed the state of the AUKUS pact five years after it was announced.
The pact aims to arm Australia with nuclear-powered submarines, but the slow pace of submarine construction in the US has long been a concern.
"One of the most important consequences of AUKUS is that it has forced us to look deeply at our submarine capacity and infrastructure," former US deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell said.
Link copied Share Share article AUKUS has forced the United States to confront its "profoundly lacking" capacity to build and maintain naval submarines, but recent progress should inspire confidence in the defence deal, a former top White House official says.
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