Australia 'confident' in US nuclear sub deal despite review

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00:00The AUKUS defence pact might be sailing into troubled waters.

00:04The Trump administration has launched a review of the security alliance to see if it aligns

00:09with the America First agenda.

00:11In Australia, defence officials downplayed the announcement and reassured it did not

00:17mean that the deal is sinking.

00:19This is a pretty normal and natural step that the American administration are taking.

00:25It's utterly consistent with what we did as a new government, what the Starmer government

00:30did as a new government.

00:32We will work very closely with the US on it, but we're really confident about the progress

00:37of AUKUS and we're confident about how it will proceed under the Trump administration.

00:42The 240 billion defence agreement was signed in 2021 by the US, Australia and the United

00:49Kingdom.

00:50It's the most substantial military cooperation between the three countries in generations.

00:55It's formed of two main pillars, one concerning the supply of nuclear-powered attack submarines

01:01and the other involving collaboration on advanced weapons technology.

01:05AUKUS has one overriding objective, to enhance the stability of the Indo-Pacific amid rapidly

01:13shifting global dynamics.

01:14Thank you all very, very much.

01:16Australia is relying on AUKUS to renew its entire submarine fleet by 2040.

01:22The US has committed to selling them up to five Virginia-class submarines to bridge the

01:26gap in the meantime.

01:28But American sceptics of the deal argue that the Navy should hold onto the submarines it produces

01:34as China increases its presence in the Indo-Pacific.

01:37American Democrats have said that ending the agreement would destroy a key pillar of security

01:42cooperation between allies and tarnish America's reputation.

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