Pentagon chief vows to honor US-Australia sub deal
WASHINGTON: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sought Tuesday to reassure lawmakers over the US pledge to supply Australia with a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, amid growing concern that production is not rolling out quickly enough to meet the commitment.
Under the AUKUS deal signed to great fanfare in 2021, Washington, London and Canberra are cooperating on the joint development of cyber warfare tools, artificial intelligence and hypersonic missiles.
The agreement commits the United States to building cutting-edge submarines for Australia, an investment with an estimated cost of up to $235 billion over 30 years.
Australia plans to acquire at least three Virginia Class submarines from the United States within the next 15 years, eventually manufacturing its own nuclear-powered subs.
The US navy has 24 Virginia-class vessels, which can carry cruise missiles, but American shipyards are struggling to meet production targets set at two new boats each year.
Critics question why the United States would sell nuclear-powered submarines to Australia without stocking its own military first.
Questioned by members of the US House of Representatives, Hegseth said his team was talking 'every day' to US shipbuilders Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls to ensure that 'their needs not only are being met, but their shortfalls are being addressed.'
The former Fox News host, one of President Donald Trump's most divisive cabinet appointments, acknowledged a 'gap' between current supply and future demand, but added that submarine building is 'crucial' to US security.
He blamed Trump's Democratic predecessor Joe Biden for having 'neglected' the industrial base for submarine construction.
While the stealthy Virginia class is an attack and intelligence gathering submarine designed for a wide range of missions, the Columbia class is a ballistic missile carrier built for nuclear deterrence that will be the largest submarine ever built by the United States.
Democrat Rosa DeLauro -- whose home state of Connecticut builds Navy submarines -- berated Hegseth over the Pentagon's decision to move $3.1 billion earmarked in 2026 for Columbia-class construction to 2027 and 2028.
'Is that going to raise alarm bells across the defense industrial base by signaling a lack of commitment to the program?' she asked.
Hegseth committed to the 'on-time' delivery of the vessels.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Japan scraps US meeting after Washington demands more defence spending
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba gives his opening speech at the beginning of the meeting with US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth at his office in Tokyo, in March. - Photo: Reuters WASHINGTON: Japan has canceled a regular high-level meeting with its key ally the United States after the Trump administration demanded it spend more on defence, the Financial Times reported on Friday (June 20). US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had been expected to meet their Japanese counterparts in Washington on July 1 for annual 2+2 security talks. But Tokyo scrapped the meeting after the United States' side asked Japan to boost defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP, higher than an earlier request of 3 per cent, the paper cited unnamed sources familiar with the matter, including two officials in Tokyo, as saying. A US official who did not want to be identified confirmed Japan had "postponed" the talks but said the decision was made several weeks ago. The source did not cite a reason. A non-government source familiar with the issue said he had also heard Japan had pulled out of the meeting, but not the reason for it doing so. US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said she had no comment on the FT report when asked about it at regular briefing, and the Pentagon also had no immediate comment. Japan's embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. The Financial Times said the new higher spending demand was made in recent weeks by Elbridge Colby, the third-most senior Pentagon official, who has also recently upset another key US ally in the Indo-Pacific by launching a review of a project to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. In March, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said that other nations do not decide Japan's defence budget after Colby called in his nomination hearing to be under secretary of defense for policy for Tokyo to spend more to counter China. Japan and other US allies have been engaged in difficult trade talks with the United States over US President Donald Trump's worldwide tariff offensive. The FT said the decision to cancel the July 1 meeting was also related to Japan's July 20 Upper House elections, at which the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is expected to suffer a loss of seats. It comes ahead of a meeting of the US-led NATO alliance in Europe next week, at which Trump is expected to press his demand that European allies boost their defence spending to 5 percent of GDP. - Reuters
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Japan scraps US meeting after Washington demands more defence spending
WASHINGTON, June 21 — Japan has cancelled a regular high-level meeting with its key ally the US after the Trump administration demanded it spend more on defence, the Financial Times reported yesterday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had been expected to meet Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Defence Minister Gen Nakatani in Washington on July 1 for the annual 2+2 security talks. But Tokyo scrapped the meeting after the US asked Japan to boost defence spending to 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product, higher than an earlier request of 3 per cent, the newspaper said, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. Japan's Nikkei newspaper reported today that President Donald Trump's government was demanding that its Asian allies, including Japan, spend 5 per cent of GDP on defence. A US official who asked not to be identified told Reuters that Japan had 'postponed' the talks in a decision made several weeks ago. The official did not cite a reason. A non-government source familiar with the issue said he had also heard Japan had pulled out of the meeting but not the reason for it doing so. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said she had no comment on the FT report when asked about it at regular briefing. The Pentagon also had no immediate comment. Japan's embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. The nation's foreign and defence ministries and the Prime Minister's Office did not answer phone calls seeking comment outside business hours today. The FT said the higher spending demand was made in recent weeks by Elbridge Colby, the third-most senior Pentagon official, who has also recently upset another key US ally in the Indo-Pacific by launching a review of a project to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. In March, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said that other nations do not decide Japan's defence budget after Colby, in his nomination hearing to be under secretary of defence for policy, called for Tokyo to spend more to counter China. Japan and other US allies have been engaged in difficult trade talks with the US over President Donald Trump's worldwide tariff offensive. The FT said the decision to cancel the July 1 meeting was also related to Japan's July 20 upper house elections, expected to be a major test for Ishiba's minority coalition government. Japan's move on the 2+2 comes ahead of a meeting of the US-led NATO alliance in Europe next week, at which Trump is expected to press his demand that European allies boost their defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP. — Reuters
Malay Mail
2 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Japan scraps US meeting after Washington demands more defense spending
WASHINGTON, June 21 — Japan has cancelled a regular high-level meeting with its key ally the US after the Trump administration demanded it spend more on defence, the Financial Times reported yesterday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had been expected to meet Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Defence Minister Gen Nakatani in Washington on July 1 for the annual 2+2 security talks. But Tokyo scrapped the meeting after the US asked Japan to boost defence spending to 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product, higher than an earlier request of 3 per cent, the newspaper said, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. Japan's Nikkei newspaper reported today that President Donald Trump's government was demanding that its Asian allies, including Japan, spend 5 per cent of GDP on defence. A US official who asked not to be identified told Reuters that Japan had 'postponed' the talks in a decision made several weeks ago. The official did not cite a reason. A non-government source familiar with the issue said he had also heard Japan had pulled out of the meeting but not the reason for it doing so. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said she had no comment on the FT report when asked about it at regular briefing. The Pentagon also had no immediate comment. Japan's embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. The nation's foreign and defence ministries and the Prime Minister's Office did not answer phone calls seeking comment outside business hours today. The FT said the higher spending demand was made in recent weeks by Elbridge Colby, the third-most senior Pentagon official, who has also recently upset another key US ally in the Indo-Pacific by launching a review of a project to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. In March, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said that other nations do not decide Japan's defence budget after Colby, in his nomination hearing to be under secretary of defence for policy, called for Tokyo to spend more to counter China. Japan and other US allies have been engaged in difficult trade talks with the US over President Donald Trump's worldwide tariff offensive. The FT said the decision to cancel the July 1 meeting was also related to Japan's July 20 upper house elections, expected to be a major test for Ishiba's minority coalition government. Japan's move on the 2+2 comes ahead of a meeting of the US-led NATO alliance in Europe next week, at which Trump is expected to press his demand that European allies boost their defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP. — Reuters
