Dwell
An influential US senator who warned that the AUKUS pact may push the US submarine-building trade to breaking level has tweeted that he’s proud to assist the “highly effective partnership”.
Democratic Senator Jack Reed and Republican Senator James Inhofe wrote to US President Joe Biden late final yr imploring him to not let the safety pact between Australia, the US and the UK come at a price to US functionality.
They urged the president to not promote Virginia-class submarines to Australia, an choice Opposition Chief Peter Dutton has been pushing as a method of filling a niche in Australia’s protection functionality.
Senator Reed is the chair of the Senate Armed Companies Committee.
“Over the previous yr, now we have grown extra involved concerning the state of the US submarine industrial base in addition to its potential to assist the specified AUKUS SSN (nuclear sub) finish state,” the senators wrote of their December 21 letter that was later leaked.
“We imagine present situations require a sober evaluation of the information to keep away from stressing the US submarine industrial base to the breaking level”.
In response to the leaked letter, the Albanian authorities has stood by the nuclear-powered submarine mission and says it stays on observe.
On Tuesday Senator Reed tweeted his assist for the “highly effective partnership” struck in September 2021 by Mr Biden, then Australian prime minister Scott Morrison and former UK chief Boris Johnson.
“I am proud to assist AUKUS, the US’ historic navy settlement with the UK and Australia,” Senator Reed tweeted.
“This highly effective partnership is central to making sure a free and open Indo-Pacific, dramatically bettering the capabilities of our allies, and rising our engagement within the area.
“Importantly, AUKUS additionally lays the muse for probably the most vital integration of our undersea and different navy capabilities ever achieved.”
Senator Reed mentioned profitable implementation of AUKUS required “accountable oversight and a secure industrial base”, significantly when it got here to submarine applications.
Mr Dutton has stood by his perception that the US ought to initially promote Australia two Virginia-class submarines forward of buying its personal nuclear-powered fleet.
