Hegseth mentioned that former President Trump expressed his approval of the $3 billion deal during a meeting with Australia’s Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles at the Pentagon on Friday.
Prior to the meeting between Marles and Hegseth, the Albanese government sent a $798 million payment to Washington in connection with the AUKUS deal.
The deal meant Australia would purchase three submarines from the US and build five of a new AUKUS-class submarine in cooperation with Britain.
However, there were doubts that Australia would ever receive a submarine at all.
Last year, concerns arose regarding the US’s capacity to manufacture nuclear-powered submarines for its own military requirements outside of its arrangement with Australia.
However, Hegseth seems to have confirmed today that the Trump administration would hold up America’s end of the bargain.
