‘It’s America’s’: Defence Minister Richard Marles refuses to say what is in AUKUS review
Richard Marles fails to disclose proposed changes contained in the Pentagon’s review of the $368bn security partnership, or whether the key findings will be made public.
The US has used the 40th AUSMIN talks to position Australia as a forward defence base for its own forces in the Indo-Pacific, with Defence Minister Richard Marles caught out for being unable to explain the improvements to AUKUS recommended in the Pentagon’s long-awaited review.
He was unable to say whether the government agreed with the changes set out in the Pentagon’s now completed report into the $368bn trilateral security partnership with the US and Britain, or provide any assurance that its findings would be made public.
Following the 40th AUSMIN meetings in Washington, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth provided strong assurances about the future of AUKUS, declaring the pact would go “full steam ahead”, and arguing that the Pentagon’s review was aimed at strengthening the security partnership “so that it works for America, for Australia and for the UK”.
While Mr Marles stressed that the release of the review was a matter for the Trump administration, he was unable to answer a stream of questions about the findings of the Pentagon’s AUKUS report.
He also refused to say whether Mr Hegseth and Mr Rubio had conveyed the need for Australia to increase defence spending in the AUSMIN consultations or whether this was a key theme in the review.
Mr Marles made clear that Australia would now move ahead with further infrastructure investments to support increased rotations of American military aircraft, including fighter planes, bombers and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.
As part of the AUSMIN talks, Mr Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong also agreed to the “pre-positioning of significant American assets in Australia”, including multi-use MV-22 Ospreys – typically used for transporting troops, equipment and supplies.
In addition, both countries reached agreement on establishment of the US Oversight and Support Group to allow greater co-ordination from the American side of the growing US footprint in Australia.
Mr Marles said an understanding was reached on a two-year shared pathway for the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise that would see the “development, co-production and co-sustainment of hypersonic cruise missiles”.
It would also provide for depot-level sustainment of AIM-9X and Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, in what Mr Marles said was a “really important measure in terms of us collaborating in respect of guided weapons”.
He said talks continued towards advancing a “seamless defence-industrial base between our two countries and further removing the barriers which have existed over the years to having that occur”.
A joint fact sheet on the AUSMIN consultations noted that Canberra would “soon deliver the next $1bn payment as scheduled to be invested in expanding US submarine production capacity”, bringing Australia’s total contribution so far to $2bn.
Founder and director of Strategic Analysis Australia Michael Shoebridge told The Australian that the force posture initiatives unveiled in Washington showed the US taking a step towards using Australia as “a base – as a chunk of real estate”.
“Instead of co-operating with our military, they’re just going to use our geography for their military,” he said. “That’s all about increasing US military presence, air and ground force and logistics through expanded facilities.
“So as our military gets weaker, then we’re relying more on US military presence for our defence – which makes sense if you’re spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence.”
The chairman emeritus of the US house committee on foreign affairs, Michael McCaul, told The Australian earlier this year that Australia was now the “central base of operations” for America’s military to deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific
Following the AUSMIN discussions on Monday, Mr Marles was met with a barrage of questions about the status of the AUKUS review, whether it would be released, and the nature of its findings.
He said the now completed Pentagon review was “essentially looking at ways in which AUKUS can be done better … The review is their review. So I’m seeking to respect that. But we’re really clear about what America is asking of us and what we’re asking of America, and what both of us are asking of the United Kingdom.”
Mr Marles provided an assurance that the review was written “in the context of moving full-steam ahead”, and Australia would work with the US and the UK to look at “how we can do AUKUS better”.
He did not provide clear answers on what this meant in practice. Nor did he say whether the review had proposed changes for a narrowing down of AUKUS Pillar 2 – relating to co-operation in advanced technologies.
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.
Asked whether Mr Rubio or Mr Hegseth had pushed the Albanese government directly to lift defence spending, Mr Marles did not provide a direct answer. He instead said he had been “very clear about our position in relation to defence spending and where that has led”.
“What has occurred as a result of that process is the biggest peacetime increase in Australia’s defence spending that we have seen – and that is something which is acknowledged by the US.”
Mr Marles said the AUSMIN talks had prioritised the need for “meeting the timeframe of the Submarine Rotational Force West, beginning at HMAS Stirling, south of Perth, in quarter four of 2027”.
“In the last six weeks we’ve had the USS Vermont undertake the most extensive maintenance on a US nuclear-powered submarine outside of the US ever,” he said. “Coming out of today’s meeting, there will be further infrastructure investments at RAAF base Darwin, RAAF base Tindal and RAAF base Amberley, which will support increased rotations of American military aircraft.”
Pressed on whether the government was being transparent on the AUKUS review, Mr Marles said there was “an incredible amount of information and detail which is out there around the optimal pathway that all of us need to follow’’.
“I am going to respect the fact that it is America’s review,” he said. “I have given you the thrust of it and the character of it. I don’t think it’s appropriate that I go into it more than that.”
Mr Shoebridge told The Australian the findings of the review should be made public “because the implementation of a three-nation $368bn initiative requires public knowledge and support”.
He said there appeared to be a “poison pill” in the AUKUS review “hidden amongst all the smiles and handshakes at AUSMIN”.
“If you just connect it with the multiple statements in the Trump National Security Strategy, it’s because allies must spend more on defence and stop free riding. So to strengthen AUKUS, it’s hard to see how that does not apply to Australia.”
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