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U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hosted Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles, and the United Kingdom’s Defense Secretary John Healey at the Pentagon for an AUKUS meeting on December 10, 2025.

The discussions underscored a shared commitment to maintaining momentum across both pillars of the AUKUS partnership and ensuring long-term stability in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions.

AUKUS, launched in 2021, is built on two major pillars. Pillar I involves rotational basing of U.S. nuclear-powered submarines in Australia and Australia’s future acquisition of Virginia-class submarines, followed by the development of AUKUS-class submarines for both the UK and Australia.

Pillar II focuses on advanced capabilities, including undersea systems, quantum technologies, AI, cyber, hypersonic, electronic warfare, and information sharing.

Hegseth opened the meeting by noting the unusually frequent engagements between the three defense ministers. “I can’t count how many meetings we’ve had at this point,” he said.

“Because of the strength of our alliances, trilateral relationships are as strong as they’ve ever been.” He emphasized the administration’s approval of a recent Pentagon review of AUKUS, adding that President Donald Trump had endorsed continuing the program “full steam ahead.”

Yesterday, I met with Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence @RichardMarlesMP and the UK’s Secretary of State for Defence @JohnHealey_MP to reaffirm our shared commitment to AUKUS.

In line with @POTUS guidance to move “full steam ahead,” we discussed… pic.twitter.com/KOVI1aKYsj

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) December 11, 2025

According to Hegseth, the partnership reflects a shared emphasis on “a pragmatic, practical application of hard power” and a deterrent posture based on real capabilities.

He reiterated that burden sharing among allies is one of the War Department’s central priorities. “We may lead our departments of war, but our goal is peace on behalf of the American people, the Australian people, and the UK,” he said.

Delivery Timelines and Industrial Base Expansion

Under current plans, the U.S. will sell Australia at least three Virginia-class submarines in the early 2030s. The UK and Australia are scheduled to receive the new AUKUS-class submarines beginning in the late 2030s and early 2040s.

A joint statement released after the meeting noted progress on priority infrastructure and workforce expansion to support the submarine industrial base across all three nations.

Marles described the project as enormous but achievable if partners remain focused on execution. “This is a massive project, and there is so much more to do; and I think delivery is very much the focus of the conversation that we will be having today,” he said. He emphasized that milestones so far were being met, adding, “AUKUS is on track.”

The Australian minister also pointed to investments intended to boost U.S. shipbuilding capacity, including $3 billion from Australia to support submarine production. After visiting the U.S.’s largest military shipyard, he expressed confidence that increased production rates could maintain the AUKUS timeline.

In the UK, shipbuilding delays have drawn criticism from some former officials. A former director of nuclear policy at the British Ministry of Defense recently argued that the UK could no longer manage a nuclear submarine program and suggested cancelling AUKUS.

Healey rejected this view, stating that Britain was “all in” now that all three countries had completed their AUKUS reviews. “All three of us are now determined to reboot AUKUS with a new commitment and a new determination, in particular, to deliver,” he said.

Reinforcing Industrial Cooperation and Regional Deterrence

The three ministers agreed that Pillar I submarine cooperation remains central to maintaining a robust deterrent. The joint statement also noted the importance of accelerating advanced capability development under Pillar II, with emphasis on meeting near-term warfighting requirements. The discussion included plans to reinforce trilateral cooperation in areas such as electronic warfare, quantum technology, and cyber capabilities.

Additional planning is underway for U.S. submarine rotations in Western Australia. The head of Australia’s submarine agency said preparations were advanced enough that even quarantine arrangements for pets of incoming U.S. personnel were being made.

Hegseth praised both allies for contributing more to regional security. “The president loves supporting countries that step up,” he said. “You see, through AUKUS and the review that we conducted, a continued commitment to a pragmatic, practical application of hard power between our countries that reflects peace through strength.”

Senior U.S. officials involved in the AUKUS review, including Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, participated in the talks. While the review identified multiple challenges, its recommendations remain confidential.

AUKUS will put more submarines in the North Atlantic and Indo-Pacific, bolstering our defences, while also keeping us ahead of evolving threats. 🇬🇧🤝🇺🇸🤝🇦🇺

The AUKUS programme is creating more than 7,000 new jobs across the UK supply chain, making defence an engine for growth. pic.twitter.com/j5oSocS8oM

— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) December 11, 2025

Broader Strategic Context

Healey said the significance of AUKUS is comparable only to the 1958 U.S.–UK nuclear cooperation agreement. Writing separately, he described the partnership as central to managing new global threats and ensuring that the world’s most capable attack submarines and emerging technologies are fielded rapidly.

He noted that adversaries are increasing their coordination and that technology is reshaping warfare at unprecedented speed.

He also linked AUKUS to the U.K.’s NATO commitments, emphasizing increased defense spending and the expectation that European nations assume greater responsibility for regional security.

Healey said AUKUS would strengthen deterrence in both the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions while generating economic growth, new skills, and industrial development across all three countries.

For the UK, AUKUS includes major investments to upgrade its nuclear industrial base and expand shipyard capacity. Healey said up to 12 advanced subs would eventually serve under the Royal Navy, enhancing the UK’s ability to deter Russia and enabling more flexible U.S. deployments worldwide.

Officials from all three countries reiterated that AUKUS is intended to serve as a foundation for long-term strategic cooperation. Hegseth described the partnership as essential to maintaining peace through strength, while Marles and Healey emphasized the economic, technological, and security benefits that will extend to future generations.

The meetings in Washington underscored the urgency all three governments now place on delivering AUKUS commitments. As Healey put it, “The time for talk is over. Now is the moment to get the world’s most powerful, most feared attack submarines built and in the water.”