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Australia will decide on use of its Aukus submarines, US Pacific commander says

  • It’s ‘Australia’s call’ deciding the use of the submarines ‘when and if the time comes’, said US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral John Aquilino
  • Canberra insists the Aukus submarines are being acquired to strengthen Australia’s defence and maintains the nation will have sovereignty over them

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A US Navy Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine of the type Australia is set to acquire from the early 2030s. Photo: US Navy/Handout
Su-Lin Tanin Singapore
It will be entirely up to Australia to decide the use of its Aukus nuclear-powered submarines, said the commander of US military forces in the Pacific, after a senior US official raised eyebrows last week by suggesting the vessels could be deployed in a potential war over Taiwan.

“I think that will be Australia’s call, how they decide to utilise their operational units when and if the time comes,” Admiral John Aquilino said when asked to confirm US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell’s claims during a Tuesday interview with Sydney-based think tank the Lowy Institute.

However, Aquilino added that the United States and Australia “coordinate almost every day” and were more “interoperable” than any other bilateral partnerships.
Admiral John Aquilino, US Indo-Pacific Command commander, speaks at Camp HM Smith in Hawaii. Photo: AP
Admiral John Aquilino, US Indo-Pacific Command commander, speaks at Camp HM Smith in Hawaii. Photo: AP
Aquilino, who leads the US Indo-Pacific Command, also reaffirmed that the sovereignty of Australia was of “critical importance to the United States”, adding that Aukus pact has the ability to deliver “any mission” that Australia wanted.
Aukus is a trilateral alliance between Australia, Britain and the US established in 2021 in response to growing Chinese influence in the region.

Canberra has steadfastly said that the submarines were being acquired to strengthen Australia’s defence and maintains that the nation will have sovereignty over the vessels.

The government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has previously denied promising the US it would go to war over Taiwan in return for the Aukus submarines, amid domestic anxieties that the deal could start a regional arms race.

Despite the US, UK and Australia’s long-held stance about Aukus’ purpose, Campbell drew links between the pact and a possible conflict in the Taiwan Strait when he spoke at the Centre for a New American Security in Washington last week.

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