AUKUS defence pact 'being reviewed' by US government
The decision to conduct a review has been reported by multiple news outlets including Reuters, which cited US defence officials without giving further details.
The review will reportedly examine whether the pact is in line with US President Donald Trump's 'America First' policy, according to the ABC which also cited a Pentagon source.
AUKUS is a three-nation security alliance between Australia, the UK and the US agreed in 2021 under the prime ministership of ex-Liberal leader Scott Morrison.
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds including passengers stuck on ferry overnight, new flights to Sydney coming, and the weirdest things we leave in Ubers. (Source: 1News)
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It was formed to counter China's strategic moves in the Pacific arena and was underpinned by an agreement between the US and the UK to provide Australia with access to nuclear-powered submarine technology, to eventually replace its aging Collins-class boats.
The deal is worth hundreds of billions of dollars, although the first submarine is not expected to join the Australian fleet for years.
Australia, which in February made the first of six $US500 million (about $830 million) payments to the US for the boats, is expected to initially buy between three and five off-the-shelf Virginia-class boats.
At the time, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Trump was supportive of the AUKUS deal.
President Donald Trump gestures after speaking at Fort Bragg. (Source: Associated Press)
"The president is very aware, supportive of AUKUS," Hegseth said after a meeting with Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles.
"(He) recognises the importance of the defence industrial base."
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Marles responded that the pair had discussed how the US and Australia could advance their longstanding diplomatic relationship in terms of national security, including AUKUS.
Australia's military budget is expected to rise to 2.3% of gross domestic product, or output, by 2034.
The US regime has already called for Australia to increase that spending to around 3.5%.
Australia tore up its $97 billion diesel-powered submarine deal with France to sign on to AUKUS and is contracted to buy several off-the-shelf submarines costing about $US4 billion each, before making its own.
The first Australian-made boats are not due to be operational until the 2040s.
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Techday NZ
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Despite investments in automation and advanced tools, the business impact often lags behind technological maturity. Organisations must think bigger, and more strategically, about how agreements can unlock long-term performance gains." AI and contract lifecycle management Artificial intelligence is increasingly regarded as a key enabler for agreement management transformation. Globally, business leaders estimate 60% of each capability within contract lifecycle management could be AI-assisted within the next three years. Nearly half (48%) of global leaders surveyed rank contract creation as a priority area for AI application, ahead of functions such as insights and intelligence (35%), customer experience (35%), agreement storage and categorisation (32%), review and risk evaluation (30%), and obligation and renewal management (28%). 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Organisations surveyed ranged in size from 125 to 20,000 employees and included representatives from sales, procurement, customer experience, human resources, legal, and information technology roles. Respondents were at director level or above and held responsibility for contract management functions. The research combined quantitative data with qualitative interviews for context.
