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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met face-to-face with US President Donald Trump for the first time, emerging with a renewed commitment from Washington to push ahead with the AUKUS submarine pact. At a joint press conference ahead of their meeting, Trump said the United States had “the best submarines in the world” and assured that the long-delayed trilateral defense partnership with Australia and the United Kingdom “is moving along very rapidly, very well.” “We’ve worked on this long and hard, and we’re starting that process right now,” Trump said, standing alongside Albanese. “We have a lot of submarines currently under construction, and now we’ve got it all set with Anthony.” AUKUS submarines Under the AUKUS agreement, Australia will acquire at least three used Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US, with the first transfer expected in the early 2030s. The deal aims to enhance Australia’s long-range deterrence capability and strengthen Western naval power in the Indo-Pacific, amid growing tensions with China. However, a major question has lingered over whether the US Navy could spare submarines for Australia without compromising its own fleet readiness. The Navy builds about 1.2 to 1.3 nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) annually, far below the 2.3 needed to meet US and Australian requirements. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a Pentagon review to assess submarine production capacity and ensure AUKUS deliveries remain on schedule. Trump’s comments were mainly positive, showing that the agreement is still on track despite challenges. Australian officials wanted clear confirmation from Trump, and his remarks reassured them. US Navy Secretary John Phelan also emphasized Washington’s commitment to the partnership but acknowledged that “some ambiguity” in the AUKUS framework still needs to be addressed. “I think what we’re really trying to do is take this framework and improve it for all three parties,” Phelan said. “Australia is a very important ally, and facilities like Henderson in Western Australia are vital to our ability to project power with our partners.” Multi-billion-dollar agreement Australia will supply critical minerals to the US under a new multi-billion-dollar agreement. This move aims to lessen reliance on China for rare Earth elements essential for defense and high-tech manufacturing. During the press event, Trump reiterated Washington’s expectation that Australia should continue boosting its defense spending, currently at about 2% of gross domestic product. “I’d always like more, but they have to do what they must,” Trump said. “They’re building tremendous docking facilities, they have a lot of ships, and I think their military has been very strong.” According to a US State Department fact sheet, Australia has already contributed $1 billion to expand and modernize the US submarine industrial base, with another $1 billion due by the end of the year. “Together, we are strengthening the Australia–United Kingdom–United States (AUKUS) trilateral security partnership to meet the challenges of tomorrow,” the statement said. The reaffirmation of the AUKUS deal was widely welcomed by Australian defense industry leaders, who had expressed growing concern about the pact’s future amid political uncertainty in Washington. Libby Day, chief executive of the South Australia-based Defence Teaming Centre, called Trump’s endorsement “the strongest to date.” “AUKUS is a long-term project of significant proportion and will provide opportunities for decades,” Day said. “It was tremendously reassuring for our member businesses to gain insight into what the future holds, and we now have a responsibility to respond to Donald Trump’s endorsement by renewing our commitment and accelerating our readiness to deliver.” The meeting was a key moment for Canberra. It showed that, despite challenges in industry and politics, Washington is fully dedicated to strengthening an important defense partnership in the Indo-Pacific.
