Australia ‘confident’ on getting Aukus submarines as US attacks China’s ‘bullying behaviour’ in Pacific

PM Anthony Albanese maintained the deal to buy vessels was on track despite Republican lawmakers saying it would ‘weaken’ the US fleet

Albanese’s comments came as Pentagon chief said US would defend allies against Chinese ‘coercion’ ahead of talks with his Australian counterpart

Reading Time:2 minutes

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, right, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Brisbane, Australia, on Friday. Photo: via AP

Published: 12:00pm, 28 Jul 2023Updated: 8:05pm, 28 Jul 2023

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was confident a deal for the US to sell nuclear-powered submarines to Australia was on track, ahead of talks between defence and foreign ministers of the two nations on Friday.

Twenty-five US Republican lawmakers told President Joe Biden on Thursday the plan to sell three attack submarines to Australia under the Aukus partnership would “unacceptably weaken” the US fleet without a clear plan to replace them.

The lawmakers urged Biden to increase funding for the US submarine fleet, amid concern about China’s increasing military might.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin are in Queensland state for the annual AUSMIN dialogue, where progress on the nuclear-powered submarine deal, regional security and clean energy will be the focus.

“I am very confident and spoke with their defence secretary Lloyd Austin last night,” Albanese told reporters on Friday, when asked about the Republican letter, which noted the Aukus agreement was “vitally important” but shouldn’t weaken the US fleet.

Washington is Australia’s major security ally, and the Aukus project announced with Britain in March will see the United States sell Australia three US Virginia class nuclear-powered submarines in the early 2030s, before Britain and Australia produce a new submarine class – SSN-Aukus – the following decade.