Amid speculation over the continuity of the AUKUS security agreement, U.S. President Donald Trump dispelled doubts by confirming that his administration will sell Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines to the Australian Navy. The announcement, made after a meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House, marks a turning point in strategic cooperation between the two nations and reinforces Washington’s commitment to strengthening allied deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.
During the meeting, Trump stated that the submarine program “is moving quickly and very well,” emphasizing that the technology transfer process “is already underway.” With this declaration, the U.S. president put an end to months of uncertainty generated by the review of the agreement initiated by the Department of Defense in June, which had cast doubts on Washington’s willingness to uphold the commitments made during Joe Biden’s administration. “Australia will get the submarines,” the president declared bluntly, confirming that the deal is “at full steam ahead.”
The AUKUS pact, signed in 2021 together with the United Kingdom and the United States, provides for Australia to acquire between three and five Virginia-class submarines as a preliminary step toward the local construction of the future SSN-AUKUS nuclear submarines. These new vessels, to be jointly designed by Australia and the United Kingdom, are expected to enter service in the 2040s. In the meantime, the transfer of Virginia-class submarines will allow Australia to develop its own infrastructure, skilled workforce, and operational experience in handling nuclear-powered units.
U.S. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, who took part in the meeting, explained that the Trump administration seeks to “improve and clarify certain aspects” of the original AUKUS framework to make it more beneficial for all three parties. According to Phelan, the goal is to strengthen allied naval cooperation and ensure that the U.S. industrial base can sustain simultaneous production of Virginia-class submarines and the strategic Columbia-class units, which are set to replace the current nuclear deterrent fleet.
For Australia, Trump’s statements represent both a political and strategic victory. The government had invested substantial resources in expanding its naval infrastructure, particularly at HMAS Stirling and the new Henderson facility in Western Australia, where the Submarine Rotational Force-West will be established under the AUKUS agreements. This detachment, scheduled to begin operations in 2027, will host U.S. and British nuclear-powered submarines on a rotational basis, strengthening the allied presence in the Pacific.
The announcement also coincided with the signing of a bilateral agreement on critical minerals and rare earths, considered essential for the production of defense technologies, semiconductors, and electric vehicles. The deal, valued at up to $3 billion in joint investments over the next six months, aims to reduce the West’s dependence on supply chains controlled by China. “Australia has the resources the world needs, and this agreement takes our relationship with the United States to the next level,” Albanese said, highlighting his country’s role as a strategic supplier of lithium, cobalt, and manganese.
The news comes just weeks after Australia took another step in developing its future nuclear fleet by signing a memorandum of understanding with Rolls-Royce, which will strengthen technological cooperation and personnel training to support the upcoming SSN-AUKUS submarines. The British company, responsible for the Royal Navy’s nuclear reactors, will provide the nuclear technology and help build Australia’s industrial base, constituting a key component of Pillar I of the trilateral agreement.
Taken together, these recent decisions confirm that the AUKUS program is not only holding firm but moving toward an industrial and operational consolidation phase. With the sale of Virginia-class submarines as an initial bridge, cooperation on strategic minerals, and the construction of new facilities in Western Australia, the Anglo-Saxon alliance reinforces its commitment to a favorable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.
Images used for illustrative purposes only.
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