American AUKUS review to take months

US Defense Department has extended its review of the AUKUS deal until November, raising fresh questions about Australia's defence spending commitments.

The US wants AUKUS to comply with Donald Trump’s ‘America first’ approach.

Australia’s defence spend will remain under the scrutiny of the US until almost the end of the year as the Trump administration confirms a “rigorous” review of the AUKUS deal will report back as late as November, with the US Defence department ­declaring the process would ensure the program aligned with ­Donald Trump’s “America first” approach.

Reports that US Defence ­official and long-time AUKUS critic Elbridge Colby was launching a review of the multibillion-dollar defence pact were leaked last month, with expectations the investigation into AUKUS would take just 30 days.

But in a statement on Wednesday (AEST), the US Defence department revealed the review would not be completed until “fall”, which runs from September to November in America.

“As part of this process, the department looks forward to continuing regular engagements on this important matter with other parts of the US government, the US congress, our allies Australia and the United Kingdom and other key stakeholders,” the statement said.

“The department anticipates completing the review in the fall. Its purpose will be to provide the President and his senior leadership team with a fact-based, rigorous assessment of the initiative.”

While Anthony Albanese sought to water down any suggestion the review was being dragged out or that the process should be of concern to Australia, opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said the nation’s defence spending would continue to be an issue in such matters.

“It is very clear the defence force is underfunded,” he told Sky News.

Anthony Albanese in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Taylor added that there was a “real problem” with the Prime Minister having not yet met with Mr Trump, after a meeting between the pair on the sidelines of the G7 was cancelled.

Mike Green, a former member of the US national security council, said it was possible Australian defence spending would be part of the review, with concern mounting over the lack of urgency Canberra was displaying in regards to the China threat.

“If you’re sitting in Washington, there is a noticeable difference, in the declaratory policy about China, between the US and Australia, but even between Australia and Japan,” he said.

“It looks like there’s no urgency about the problem (in Australia).”

Despite this, Mr Green – who is now the head of the United States Studies Centre – said the US defence department statement was encouraging.

He said a longer review was better than a short, 30-day process that did not capture the significance of AUKUS and that the statement also didn’t explicitly refer to the Australian defence spend.

“It’s possible this AUKUS review could be linked to Australian defence spending in Australia’s position on Taiwan and China. That’s possible, and it will be definitely part of the atmospherics. But I think there’s now a signal that it’s not going to be explicitly linked,” he said.

“There are some legitimate ­issues … like building the workforce is proving more challenging than expected. But that is not a show stopper for AUKUS.”