Labor plan to buy gas to stop factory closures; Pentagon review confirms AUKUS timeline
The Pentagon’s review of the AUKUS defense pact confirmed the agreement’s current timeline, but one person who read it warned that all three countries must meet critical deadlines for the project to be successful.
The highly anticipated review, which took approximately six months to complete, was read by members of the congressional armed services committee and delivered to the Australian government. A spokesman said the Pentagon does not intend to make the review public.
The review was led by Elbridge Colby, undersecretary for defense policy and an AUKUS skeptic.Credit: Bloomberg
Democratic congressman Joe Courtney, who sits on the armed services committee and co-chairs the Friends of Australia Caucus, said the review confirmed the most controversial part of the deal, the sale of three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines to Australia starting in 2032.
But he also emphasized that the agreement requires the three countries – Australia, the US and the UK – to meet certain milestones in their preparatory work.
“The report correctly identified that there are critical deadlines within which all three countries must meet,” said Courtney. “Therefore, maintaining disciplined adherence to the program is crucial.”
