US ‘hasn’t wavered’ on Aussie nuclear subs as Virginia-class submarines face construction delays

A senior US official leading the government’s efforts on implementing AUKUS has reassured Australia that the country remains ‘very committed to fulfilling our obligations’ under the pact.

A digital mock-up of the nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarine.

A senior US official leading the government’s efforts on implementing AUKUS has reassured Australia that the country remains “very committed to fulfilling our obligations” under the pact, after it emerged the construction of nuclear-powered ­Virginia-class submarines faced delays of up to three years.

Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security at the US State Department Bonnie Jenkins said America “has not wavered” from its ­promise to provide Australia with Virginia-class submarines in the early-2030s.

Dr Jenkins also attempted to counter China’s anti-AUKUS narrative in the Pacific by insisting the landmark trilateral agreement was “not at all (designed) to create a problem” in the region.

“We’re trying to help the safety and security of the region. Australia is not going to develop a nuclear weapon, they’re going to have a nuclear-powered submarine, which is allowed under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty,” Dr Jenkins said during a US State Department press briefing.

“We’re not creating new nuclear weapons.

“We’re not creating new nuclear states by doing this … We’re going to keep talking to countries in the region because we know there’s also some incorrect information out there about the purpose of AUKUS and what we’re trying to do.”

Weeks after an internal US navy investigation found the ­Virginia-class submarines being built could be delayed by two to three years – raising doubts over the US capacity to provide an initial three second-hand boats to Australia by 2032 – Dr Jenkins insisted there was strong domestic bipartisan support for the deal.

“We remain committed to AUKUS, we remain committed to providing nuclear-powered submarines to AUKUS. We recognise that there’s things that we have to address here in the United States domestically, in terms of concerns raised by the Hill (Congress), but we are very committed to fulfilling our obligations under the AUKUS agreement,” she said.

As China warns other countries against joining the AUKUS pact’s advanced technology partnership, or Pillar II, Dr Jenkins said the US, Australia and UK would continue talks with Japan to become a potential partner and hoped to make “some advancements” this year.

The AUKUS countries wanted to be “very open” about the pact’s goals, to quell concerns in the Pacific, she said. “If folks aren’t really seeing that (transparency) they will see that in the near future because we recognise the importance of transparency and making sure we get the correct information out there,” Dr Jenkins said. “It’s very important that countries understand that this is not to ­create … any kind of arms race.”