Although questioned by Trump, the Aukus military agreement is re-reviewed and approved: Australia will purchase US nuclear attack submarines
AFP, Washington, December 4, the US Department of Defense reiterated on Thursday its commitment to the Aukus military agreement reached with London and Canberra, which includes selling three nuclear-powered attack submarines to Australia at the expense of French interests.
AFP pointed out that the agreement was signed by Washington with the UK and Australia during the Biden administration in 2021, aimed at curbing China's influence in the Pacific region.
However, the Trump administration requested a review of the agreement in June this year, causing concerns in Australia. After five months of review, the Pentagon announced on Thursday that the agreement "conforms to President Trump's 'America First' policy." Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesperson, said in a statement, "According to President Trump's instructions that the Aukus agreement must 'move forward at full speed,' the review found opportunities to place the Aukus agreement on the most solid foundation." However, he did not reveal more details.
It is understood that Connecticut Congressman Joe Courtney has been deeply involved in the matter. He stated that the review confirmed "the plan is in the interest of US national security." In his statement, he emphasized, "Notably, the 2021 Aukus agreement has remained stable through three government changes in the three countries."
Nevertheless, the project still faces significant technical challenges. US Defense Secretary Austin admitted that there is a "gap" between the current US production capacity and the capacity required to complete the submarine construction on time. Courtney, however, believes that the plan to sell three Virginia-class submarines starting in 2032 has not been questioned, and Congress will support the US shipyards responsible for the construction.
In Canberra, Australian Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy expressed satisfaction with the US conclusion on Friday. He stated that Australia will "follow its conclusions and recommendations to further improve the Aukus agreement" and noted that it is up to Washington to decide whether to disclose the relevant documents.
The announcement of the 2021 Aukus agreement was seen in Paris as a "backstab," because Australia suddenly canceled a large conventional submarine contract with France. The contract originally planned to build 12 French conventional submarines in Australia.
Aside from providing Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines, the Aukus agreement also plans to provide a fleet of nuclear-powered stealth submarines starting in 2040, with a total cost of about $23.5 billion over 30 years. The canceled Naval Group contract with France was only a quarter of the cost of this agreement.
Source: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1850662593174730/
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