U.S. approves Australia's AUKUS nuclear submarine plan following Pentagon review.

The U.S. Department of Defense has validated the existing AUKUS submarine pathway, including the planned transfer of at least three Virginia-class submarines to Australia from the early 2030s, and the launch of the first Australian-built submarine in the early 2040s.

As reported by the AFP on December 5, 2025, the Pentagon has completed its review of the AUKUS submarine partnership with Australia and the UK, resulting in the United States' approval of the continuation of Australia's nuclear-powered submarine plan, as outlined in the agreement. The assessment also confirms that the planned transfer of Virginia-class submarines can proceed and identifies areas where timelines and industrial capacity require further coordination among the three partners.
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These AUKUS-class submarines will replace Australia's Collins-class fleet and provide greater reach and endurance for operations across the Indo-Pacific, including long-range conventional strike, possibly with Tomahawk missiles and heavyweight torpedoes. (Picture source: UK MoD)

The Pentagon has completed its review of the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership and confirmed that the agreement will proceed, identifying areas where the pact can be strengthened while Australia begins to examine the findings. The review assures Canberra that the U.S. remains committed to supplying at least three Virginia-class submarines from the early 2030s and to the broader transition toward a jointly developed SSN-AUKUS class, even as timelines, industrial capacity, and governance arrangements are evaluated. Australian ministers describe the process as confirming continued support for AUKUS while keeping open the possibility of adjusting delivery and performance over the coming decades. The outcome is presented as an endorsement of the overall plan rather than a reconsideration of its direction. This sets the stage for Australia to align internal reforms with the long-term requirements of the project.

The review was initiated earlier this year under U.S. President Donald Trump to test the agreement against his administration’s America First agenda and to assess pressure on the U.S. submarine industrial base. The Department of War concluded after a five-month process that AUKUS should advance in line with presidential guidance to move full steam ahead, while noting several areas where implementation can be reinforced. Members of Congress familiar with the assessment state that it supports the current framework, confirms authority for the sale of three Virginia-class submarines from 2032, and identifies critical deadlines that Australia, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. must meet. Supporters highlight that the agreement has already continued across three changes of government in all three countries, suggesting stable political backing. The review was led by an undersecretary who has previously warned that attack submarines are limited assets and that current US yards do not produce enough boats to meet national requirements, reinforcing the need to expand production capacity for AUKUS to remain viable.

In Australia, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy says Australia will consider proposals to improve delivery and performance and characterises the arrangement as a long-term framework designed to evolve across a 30 to 40-year period. Australia has decided to reorganise its defence bureaucracy from July next year by merging the capability acquisition and sustainment group, the guided weapons and explosive ordnance group, and the naval shipbuilding and sustainment group into a Defence Delivery Agency reporting directly to ministers. This restructuring aims to support major programs such as AUKUS during a period when Australia plans to spend an additional A$70 billion over the next decade and has acknowledged persistent cost growth and delays. These changes follow concerns that the US review could lead to higher Australian spending expectations or more explicit commitments on future submarine deployments, concerns that the government is trying to manage while maintaining the strategic rationale for the partnership.

The submarine component of AUKUS is Australia’s largest defence project, with Canberra allocating about A$368 billion, roughly $240 billion, over three decades to acquire and operate nuclear-powered submarines and to establish the associated industrial base and workforce. The current pathway includes the purchase of at least three Virginia-class submarines from the early 2030s, with options for two more if needed, while preparing to construct the new SSN-AUKUS class using a British hull design with trilateral technology. These 10,000-tonne submarines will replace the ageing Collins-class fleet and provide greater reach and endurance for operations across the Indo-Pacific, including long-range conventional strike, possibly with Tomahawk missiles and heavyweight torpedoes. A second AUKUS pillar centers on advanced capabilities that include hypersonic and counter-hypersonic weapons, undersea robotics, quantum systems, artificial intelligence, advanced cyber, electronic warfare, and expanded information sharing.

Since 2023, US submarines have been making longer and more frequent visits to Australia, with UK boats expected to increase visits from 2026, ahead of a rotational presence called Submarine Rotational Force West that could begin at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia as early as 2027. The rotational presence is expected to include one British Astute-class submarine and up to four American Virginia-class submarines, which will use the base for maintenance and training between regional patrols while remaining under national command. Australian personnel will embark on these submarines and work on them in port to gain operational and technical experience, contributing to a sovereign-ready milestone in the early 2030s. Construction of the SSN-AUKUS is scheduled to begin in Barrow-in-Furness in the late 2020s for British Navy boats entering service in the late 2030s, and in Osborne in South Australia by the end of this decade, with the first Australian-built submarine targeted for the early 2040s.

Meeting these objectives requires substantial expansion of industrial capacity and workforce in all three AUKUS countries. In Australia, the Osborne shipyard will be enlarged to support SSN-AUKUS production, with peak construction expected to generate about 4,000 direct jobs, while HMAS Stirling and its associated facilities are being upgraded to host visiting and rotational nuclear submarines. Across the broader AUKUS submarine enterprise, including Virginia-class operations and SSN-AUKUS construction, around 20,000 jobs are expected over 30 years across industry, the public service, and the armed forces. Industry investment over the forward estimates is projected at no less than $6 billion, with an overall economic impact estimated at about 0.15 percent of GDP. Australian companies will provide components such as pressure hull steel, valves, pumps, batteries, lighting, switchboards, and additive manufactured parts for a trilateral supply chain supporting US and UK fleets. Workforce growth is being supported by embedding Australian personnel in allied shipyards, participation in naval nuclear schools, and expansion of domestic engineering and regulatory training pathways.

Australia also states that it will not pursue nuclear weapons, will not enrich uranium, and will not reprocess spent fuel, and that PWR reactor units supplied by the United Kingdom and the U.S. will be provided as complete welded systems that do not require refuelling and cannot be accessed without disabling the submarines. Australia is negotiating an arrangement with the International Atomic Energy Agency under Article 14 of its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement to ensure verification that nuclear material is not diverted while protecting classified design information. Australia will manage all radioactive waste from Virginia-class and SSN-AUKUS submarines, including spent fuel, and is examining potential Defence estate sites for long-term storage and disposal in accordance with domestic and international obligations. The AUKUS partners present these safeguards as integral to enabling Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine capability, while establishing a structure intended to reduce the risk of similar programs being used by other non-nuclear states to justify nuclear weapons development.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.