Major blow for Australia just days before Anthony Albanese meets Donald Trump
The Trump administration has launched a review into the AUKUS security deal with Australia and the UK.
The review, which was announced overnight on Thursday, will be led by vocal sceptic Elbridge Colby, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy who has called the pact 'crazy'.
A defence official told The Daily Telegraph the Pentagon was looking at the deal to ensure 'this initiative of the previous Administration is aligned with the President's America First agenda'.
'As (Defence) Secretary (Pete) Hegseth has made clear, this means ensuring the highest readiness of our service members, that allies step up fully to do their part for collective defence, and that the defence industrial base is meeting our needs.
It comes almost two weeks after it was revealed Hegseth urged Australian counterpart Richard Marles to increase military spending.
Australia's total defence spend in 2024-25 was about $53.94billion, or 2 per cent of GDP. This is set to increase to 2.33 per cent by 2033-34 - but the US wants the number to be at least 3 per cent.
Head of the US Seapower Subcommittee, Congressman Joe Courtney has spoken up to encourage his government not to abandon the pact.
'The new administration certainly has the right to review the trilateral AUKUS mission,' he said.
'But as the recent UK government's defence review determined, this is a defence alliance that is overwhelmingly in the best interest of all three AUKUS nations, as well as the Indo-Pacific region as a whole.
'To abandon AUKUS – which is already well underway – would cause lasting harm to our nation's standing with close allies and certainly be met with great rejoicing in Beijing.'
Under the pact, Australia will spend up to $368billion eight nuclear-powered submarines and purchasing more from the United States.
It marks the biggest defence investment in Australian history with the annual cost amounting to 0.15 per cent of GDP until the mid-2050s.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will be attending the G7 Summit next week in Canada, during which he is expected to meet with Donald Trump.
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