New $800m payment for AUKUS was scheduled, Prime Minister says

Australia has sent another $800m to the US for the AUKUS program, despite it currently being under review by the Trump administration.

Australia has sent another $800m to the US as part of the AUKUS deal, which the Trump administration has under review, but the Prime Minister says it was simply a part of the “schedule”.

Anthony Albanese was asked about the new payment that took the total to $1.6bn, which was reported in Nine newspapers on Wednesday.

“There is a schedule of payments to be made, we have an agreement with the United States as well as with the United Kingdom,” Mr Albanese told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing.

“It is about increasing the capacity, their industrial capacity, and as part of that, we have Australians on the ground, learning the skills so that when it comes to the SSN-AUKUS, the submarines being built here in Australia, we have those skills.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the $800m sent to the US for AUKUS was a scheduled payment. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Defence Minister Richard Marles earlier confirmed the report saying “the payments are occurring in line with Australia’s commitment to contribute US$2bn by the end of 2025, which underscores our commitment to the successful delivery of AUKUS Pillar I outcomes”.

The US’ review was announced in June and is being headed up by Elbridge Colby, the US undersecretary of defence.

Mr Colby recently made headlines when it was revealed he was pressuring the Australian and Japanese governments to reveal what they would do if China invaded Taiwan.

The nuclear submarines are set to be built in Australia. Picture: NewsWire / Morgan Sette

The AUKUS deal is a long-term arrangement that will cost upwards of $268bn, and as much as $368bn, over the next 30 years.

Australia would buy nuclear submarines from the US, while developing our own capacity to build submarines in Adelaide.

The new payment came as Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said he was “worried” about the government’s position on defence.

“I worry that the government – I think it’s not just me worried, I think every expert looking at this is making these comments – they’re deeply worried that we’re not on our way to having the defence force we need in such an uncertain time,” Mr Taylor said.

“We’ve got authoritarian regimes around the world flexing their muscles.”