Changes to Pillar 2 key part of AUKUS talks says Marles
The UK and US say they’re ‘all in’ on AUKUS while Richard Marles is unable to discuss the review details, with the US Defence Department confirming it is classified.
Changes to refine AUKUS Pillar 2 were a key part of Richard Marles’ trilateral talks with his US and UK counterparts at the Pentagon, with the Australian Defence Minister also meeting for the first time with Elbridge Colby – the author of the US review into the security partnership.
The Department of War confirmed on Wednesday local time that the recently finalised review overseen by Mr Colby – the Pentagon’s policy tsar who was a leading sceptic of the AUKUS partnership before joining the Trump administration – was classified.
This limits what the Australian government can say publicly about its findings to put the security partnership on a stronger footing, with Mr Marles reaffirming that he was “reluctant to talk about it because it’s an American review.”
However, fresh from attending the 40th AUSMIN talks on Monday, Mr Marles made clear that substantive discussions did take place on Wednesday with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and UK Defence John Healey on the future of AUKUS Pillar 2.
“There has been a lot of progress on Pillar 2. I think we don’t speak about it enough, and some of it is difficult to speak about in the sense that it’s classified,” Mr Marles said in Washington. “But it is also right that focusing on particular projects is something that we need to be doing.
“Without going into what they are, that was a focus of our meeting today about giving a sharpness, if I could put it that way, to what we are seeking to do in relation to Pillar 2. And I think that’s really important.
“In fact, Pillar 2 was a significant part of today’s meeting.”
Under Pillar 1 of the AUKUS security partnership, Australia will acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, including at least three Virginia-class boats from the US, the first due to arrive from 2032. However, Pillar 2 relates to the joint development and sharing of advanced technologies including hypersonics, quantum computing and AI.
Pillar 2 has been frequently criticised for being too broad, with experts arguing its focus must be narrowed down to a few specific capabilities to ensure tangible outcomes can be delivered more swiftly.
Mr Marles said that all three AUKUS members – the US, the UK and Australia – had now completed reviews and the “absolute focus in respect of all of our three countries was how to harness our systems to deliver AUKUS Pillar 1.”
“And to make that we are doing everything at full speed – full steam ahead – as President Trump has given us this motto in terms of delivering on submarines and on Pillar 2.”
Speaking ahead of the trilateral meeting, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said that AUKUS was “quite simply the most important military collaboration for the last 70 years,” and the foundation for “shared security for generations to come.”
“It’s right that all three governments, as newly elected governments, have carried out a review of AUKUS,” he said. “Those reviews are now done and all three of us are now determined to reboot AUKUS with a new commitment and a new determination, in particular, to deliver.
“The UK is all in on AUKUS.”
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that AUKUS reflected a “continued commitment to a pragmatic practical application of hard power between our countries that reflect peace through strength.”
He also made clear the US view that AUKUS was essential as a military deterrent in the Indo-Pacific region against China, arguing that it was about “hard power” and “real capabilities that demonstrate a deterrent effect that we all want.”
He said that Donald Trump loved “supporting countries that step up.”
The Australian was informed that Mr Marles met twice this week with Mr Colby, but not in one-on-one meetings given the Pentagon’s policy chief is not as senior as the Australian Defence Minister within the US system.
However, Mr Colby was included in the US delegations who – along with Mr Hegseth – attended Monday’s AUSMIN meetings as well as the trilateral defence talks on Wednesday local time.
Over the last three days, Mr Marles said that he had met with “a number of Senators” as well as key figures in the Pentagon including the US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll with talks planned on Wednesday afternoon with US Navy Secretary John Phelan.
Mr Marles also made a visit on Tuesday local time to the Newport News Shipbuilding yard owned by Hunting Ingalls Industries in Virginia – one of the two facilities which builds the Virginia-class submarines for the US.
Mr Marles said it was largest shipyard in the United States and a “key place” where the billions of dollars of Australian investment in the American submarine industrial base would be going,
“And it was (a) very impressive facility to see. And also gave me a sense of confidence that as we invest into the submarine industrial base here in the United States … that we are actually seeing an increase in the production rates here, which is so important.”
The completion of the AUKUS review and the political endorsement of the US President means the focus of all three countries is now shifting to delivery – a massive endeavour for Australia.
The agreement is seen as a vital military deterrent against Beijing in the Indo-Pacific. Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and co-chair of the Congressional Friends of Australia Caucus, said that he had championed the security pact “because it serves as a critical deterrent to China’s malign actions.”
“The president’s decision to move ‘full steam ahead’ once again telegraphs his commitment to peace through strength in the Indo-Pacific and around the world,” he said.
A joint statement issued after the trilateral meeting stated that Mr Hegseth, Mr Marles and Mr Healey all reaffirmed the “shared commitment to the AUKUS partnership” and recognised the work “underway to deliver priority infrastructure and workforce uplift in support of an enhanced trilateral submarine industrial base.”
“Through the discussions today, the three Principals discussed ways to continue to strengthen AUKUS and reiterated their shared commitment to inject pace and focus on delivery to ensure the long-term success of the AUKUS partnership,” it said. “The Principals recognised the critical importance of submarine cooperation under AUKUS Pillar I to ensure a robust deterrent.”
“Additionally, they recognized the importance of advanced capabilities development under AUKUS Pillar II and discussed opportunities to further accelerate delivery of such projects, with particular focus on near-term warfighting objectives.”
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