Rep. Courtney: Abandoning AUKUS would cause Lasting Harm

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joe Courtney AO (CT-02) - Ranking Member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, the Co-Chair of the Friends of Australia Caucus, and Congress' leading AUKUS supporter - issued the following statement after reportsthat the Pentagon is reviewing the future of AUKUS.

"The new administration certainly has the right to review the trilateral AUKUS mission, but as the recent UK government's defense review determined, this is a defense alliance that is overwhelmingly in the best interest of all three AUKUS nations, as well as the Indo-Pacific region as a whole. To abandon AUKUS - which is already well under-way - would cause lasting harm to our nation's standing with close allies and certainly be met with great rejoicing in Beijing.

"It is worth noting that all three countries have completed joint nuclear submarine training with a significant number of sailors and officers, with more in the pipeline; Australian sailors and naval operators are joint-crewing U.S. Virginia class submarines; joint U.S.-Australian submarine repair work is happening in Guam and Hawaii; and the U.S. submarine industrial base delivered two attack submarines in 2024, two will be delivered in 2025, and two more in 2026. Support from U.S. Navy leadership such as Admiral Samuel Paparofor AUKUS is still strong, as is also true in Australia who is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into an expanded submarine base in Perth.

"The AUKUS mission also brings in over $3 billion in foreign investments from Australia - with $500 millionalready in hand - to redouble our efforts to increase shipbuilding capacity. That historic investment directly aligns with President Trump's rightful goal to build more ships 'very fast, very soon,' and restore America's maritime dominance.

"To walk away from all the sunk costs invested by our two closest allies - Australia and the United Kingdom - will have far-reaching ramifications on our trustworthiness on the global stage and is a direct contradiction to the administration's 'America First, but not alone' goal of countering aggression from China, Russia, and other adversaries."

Take a look back at key AUKUS milestones achievedin 2024.

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