As Australian resistance rises, is AUKUS in trouble?
An artist’s impression of the AUKUS SSN submarine. (Image: BAE Systems)
The tripartite submarine project is under political pressure from a grass-roots Australian Labor Party movement, but it could also have practical issues in its way.
AUKUS, the long-term, two-stranded defence agreement between the US, the UK and Australia, faces a serious of hurdle to overcome if it is ever to achieve its goals. Since the election of Donald Trump in the US, and his administration’s dramatic shift on defence spending and the use of tariffs, there has been growing popular and political concern in Australia over whether the deal makes sense.
So can AUKUS survive the drop-off in Australian support? And are there other elements of the plan that should concern the industry?
The terms of AUKUS, as set out in 2021, exist in two “pillars”.
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