AUKUS deal has Trump approval: Pete Hegseth after talks with Richard Marles
President Donald Trump has flagged his support for the complex defence arrangement with Australia after the Albanese government delivered a $798m payment.
Donald Trump will support the AUKUS security arrangement, ending months of uncertainty, as a $798 million payment marked the beginning of Australia’s submarine investment.
Defence Minister Richard Marles met his newly appointed US counterpart Pete Hegseth in Washington D.C on Friday, spruiking Australia’s contributions to US military infrastructure as an incentive against tariffs.
“The President is very aware, supportive of AUKUS, recognises the importance of the defence industrial base, which the Deputy Prime Minister pointed out the investment Australia is willing to make,” Mr Hegseth said. “He’s aware and (we are) appreciative for his support and leadership on that topic.
“This is not a mission, in the Indo-Pacific, that America can undertake by itself ... It has to (have) robust allies and partners. Technology sharing and subs are a huge part of it.”
Mr Marles held a press conference on Saturday, Australian time, where he argued the AUKUS submarine production deal provided a “unique arrangement” between Australia and the US which disincentivised financial penalties.
The $798 million deal is the first instalment in its $US3 billion ($4.8bn) payment under AUKUS pillar one for nuclear submarines.
“We had a very warm meeting following on from the very warm phone conversation that we had last week. We are very encouraged by the strength of American leadership,” Mr Marles said.
“We jointly need to succeed to see this happen, both in terms of American capability, but ultimately Australian capability as well, and being able to increase those production rates … getting more Virginias in the water, seeing Australia acquire our Virginia-class submarines in the time that we’ve agreed, is really important in terms of the deterrence that it provides.
“We obviously are engaging with the United States in respect of our bilateral relationship, in respect of tariffs, but we’ll continue to do that.”
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is also meeting Donald Trump in Washington as they discuss means of slashing the US trade deficit with Japan, floating punitive tariffs as one potential measure. Mr Marles was questioned on whether Australia could be the next ally under scrutiny, including over the longevity of the AUKUS deal.
“It is really clear that there is a focus on our region, our part of the world, in terms of the way in which America sees itself, in terms of expressing its leadership in the world. As part of this, we talked about AUKUS and how fundamentally important it is in the contemporary expression of our alliance,” he said.
“We very much talked about the fact that right now, Australia is increasing its defence spending. We are seeing in Australia one of the largest increases in defence spending in our peacetime history.
“We made clear that we are making the first of the payments to the American industrial base for its submarine enterprise (and) that we’ve been able to do that in the first couple of weeks of the Trump administration.
“The optimal pathway, which is now underpinned in a trilateral treaty between our three countries, which I signed in Washington back in August of last year, is an agreement that is going to endure over decades.
“It’s going to endure over multiple administrations in the United Kingdom, Australia and here in the United States. And we are very confident about its future progress, and we are very confident about its progress under this administration.”
At the meeting Mr Hegseth said the US hoped to deliver Australia’s first nuclear submarine on time, with Mr Trump “committed” to “cutting red tape”, investing in defence and standing by allies.
“I think that’s something that was missing in the last four years, that President Trump demonstrated – you’re going to have no worse enemy, and no better ally,” Mr Hegseth said.
“And that’s what he’s charged me with at the defence department, is when we make these strategic partnerships and we invest in them, and there’s skin in the game, as the Deputy Prime Minister pointed out, we’re going to do everything possible we can to help deliver on that.”
When asked if the US was building submarines quick enough, Mr Hegseth said they were “pleased with the progress” despite past “challenges”.
“There have been challenges there in the past, but it is, of course, why we see that part of getting this done is for Australia to make the contribution that we are to the American industrial base, which is measured in billions of dollars,” he said.
“As I say, the first payment of that has been made in the last week or so.
“But we are encouraged by the progress, there’s a way to go, but this is something that jointly we’re going to get done.
“It needs to be done from the perspective of both of our countries. It needs to be done in terms of the deterrence that represents in the Indo-Pacific and around the world.”
US Congressman and co-chair of the Friends of Australia Caucus Joe Courtney earlier said the payment “strengthened the ties of our two nations and the AUKUS agreement, ensuring the mission will endure and the US submarine industrial base can meet the demands of the security agreement”.
“At every step of the way Australia has demonstrated AUKUS is a true partnership that the US benefits from as much as our partners and allies in the region,” Mr Courtney said.
“I look forward to working with my counterparts on the Seapower Subcommittee to ensure this new investment is expeditiously made available to expand the supply chain, skill-up a talented workforce, and advance manufacturing technology.”
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