AUKUS deal approved by US Congress as backers say future presidents can be trusted
After months of negotiations, a broad defence policy package including legislation to enable the AUKUS agreement sailed through the US House of Representatives, hours after clearing the Senate.
It authorises the sale of at least three Virginia-class submarines to Australia, relaxes export controls, and allows Australian defence contractors to train in the United States.
It also enables the Australian government to make a payment of $US3 billion ($4.5 billion) to speed up submarine production at American shipyards.
“This is a historic achievement,” Defence Minister Richard Marles told the ABC after the legislation passed the House.
“It’s the first time in American history that there has been the authorisation of a sale of a nuclear-powered submarine to another country.”
The Virginia-class boats are scheduled to be transferred from the early 2030s to avoid a capability gap while Australia builds its own nuclear-powered submarines.
Reversal risks ‘tremendous blowback’
The US legislation states that 270 days before the transfer happens, the president will need to certify that the transfer is consistent with the country’s foreign policy interests, and would not “degrade” its own undersea capabilities.
Democratic congressman Joe Courtney, a co-chair of the AUKUS working group, rejected suggestions that could lead to a future administration backing out of the agreement.
“We’ve got now statutory blessing to AUKUS, which I think expresses a clear bipartisan intent in both chambers that we support this security agreement in terms of all the technology sharing,” he said.
“And so for a future president to sort of try and gum up the works or move backwards, I mean honestly, whoever that is would have to come back and try and undo some of the authorities that we’ve created.”
Mr Courtney said there was also strong backing for the agreement within the US military.
“Given what I think was really powerful support from what is ultimately the key department in the executive branch, the Department of the Navy, for this provision, I just feel that whatever president that might be would face tremendous blowback in terms of trying to undo what we’ve accomplished here today,” he said.
Australian billions to boost base
The AUKUS project is estimated to cost up to $368 billion over the next three decades.
It’s not yet known when the $US3 billion payment will be made. The Australian government said those details were now being worked out.
“We can hardly expect the US to provide Virginia-class submarines to us unless they uplift their industrial base,” Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy told the ABC during a visit to Washington.
The US is failing to meet its own submarine production targets, and concerns had been raised in congress that it could not afford to sell boats to Australia until there was a marked improvement.
President Joe Biden has since requested congress approve a further $US3.4 billion in funding to help accelerate maintenance and build times.
Mr Conroy would not be drawn on what would happen to the Australian contribution if the deal fell through or was significantly altered.
“I’m very confident that the AUKUS partnership as agreed and negotiated and legislated only today will be followed through. Why? Because it’s in the national interest of all three countries,” he said.
“So I know people are interested in those hypotheticals, but this is an investment in the future security of Australia, and the United States and our alliance. And I’m confident all parties will follow through with that.”
SOURCE: ABCNEWS
