AUKUS: Australian official blasts US President Biden’s administration for delays

US President Joe Biden’s administration has been copping heat over AUKUS and plans for sharing important military technology. See why.

A top Australian official has blasted the Biden administration’s “permafrost layer of middle management” for delaying the AUKUS plan to share advanced military technologies.

Ninh Duong, the minister-counsellor for defence, science and technology at Australia’s US embassy, said dealing with the US system of defence export controls felt like “death by a thousand cuts” even with the AUKUS “battering ram” to clear away red tape.

His criticisms were echoed on Thursday by US congressional leaders in an inquiry into the Biden administration’s plans to overhaul the complex regulations so Australia, the UK and the US could share technology including artificial intelligence, hypersonic missiles and electronic warfare systems.

Primary Minister Anthony Albanese with US President Joe Biden. Biden’s administration has come under fire for delaying the AUKUS plan to share advanced military technologies, such as artificial intelligence. Picture: Getty Images

House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Michael McCaul warned: “The longer outdated and costly regulations stand in the way of successful implementation, the more it plays into the Chinese Communist Party’s hands and erodes our closest allies’ security.”

But senior leaders from the State Department and the Defence Department promised they were tackling the problem with a three-phase plan to match what they called the “generational opportunity” presented by AUKUS.

State Department assistant secretary Jessica Lewis said bureaucrats were developing an interim mechanism to fast-track technology-sharing, while also drafting legislative changes and seeking commitments from Australia and the UK to ensure sensitive US capabilities would be kept safe from espionage and cyber attacks by “hostile actors” including China.

Defence Department assistant secretary Mara Karlin added: “This is a historic opportunity so it does require historic change.”

Mr McCaul, who it was revealed this month was drafting new laws to cut through the red tape, flagged the need for a legislative fix “as soon as possible”.

House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Michael McCaul is among people criticising delays to the AUKUS plan and is working to cut through red tape. Picture: Getty Images via AFP

The United States Studies Centre also recently published its recommendations for “breaking the barriers” of US export controls, with report authors Bill Greenwalt and Tom Corben pushing for President Joe Biden to lead the way with an executive order.

Republicans and Democrats on the congressional committee expressed strong support for the AUKUS pact on Thursday, although Gerry Connolly raised concerns about Australia’s Defence Strategic Review concluding our military forces were “not fit for purpose”.

“That’s a stunning conclusion,” the Democrat said, adding that the US could not ignore “years of neglect”.

“I want Australia to be a partner, but I also want us to recognise where there are weaknesses that have to be addressed.”

Dr Karlin said it was “heartening that Australia’s government recognises the urgent need” to upgrade and reshape its military to meet the changing security environment in the Indo-Pacific region.