Biden’s Reckless AUKUS Deal: A Serious Threat to US Defense?

The Trump administration has initiated an overview of a hefty defense deal orchestrated by former President Joe Biden, a move that is sure to disconcert allied nations such as Australia and the UK. The deal, known as AUKUS, pertaining to the provision of nuclear submarines to Australia, is expected to be under heightened scrutiny to ascertain its accord with Trump’s ‘America First’ policy. Biden’s move riddled with potential national threats or may just be another testament to a foreign policy focused on appeasing international partners rather than strengthening home defenses.

The focus on international peacemaking, seemingly at the expense of national safety, under Biden’s reign raises severe doubts regarding the defense pact. The review may prove to be a cause for alarm for Australia who perceives these submarines as an essential facet of their defense system amidst China’s military expansion. Moreover, the UK’s safeguarding plans could also face uncertainty due to this review.

This Biden-established arrangement with Australia was designed to aid Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered attack submarines and other advanced weaponry to counter the looming threat of China’s growing influence. However, critics argue this ‘gift’ to Australia could cost America, ‘robbing’ its own valuable assets for an uncertain return. Biden’s team, however, appears oblivious to this risk.

Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s top policy advisor and a notable critic of this defense pact, voiced his apprehensions regarding the perceived lack of prudence in the deal. According to him, U.S. military submarines serve as precious resources, essential for maintaining American military dominance. Accordingly, the supply to meet U.S. demand is already strained and diverting this ‘crown jewel’ resource amplifies its scarcity.

America’s defense strategy regarding a potential clash with China is heavily reliant on military submarines. Therefore, diverting such a strategic asset to Australia under the AUKUS deal struck by Biden is tantamount to self-sabotage. ‘My concern is why are we giving away this crown jewel asset when we most need it,’ said Colby, echoing the views of many.

The decision to review Biden’s audacious move mirrors growing concerns about its implications for American defense. As a further testament to the negligence of the previous administration, embassies of Australia and the UK in Washington have remained unresponsive to requests for comments on this situation. Similarly, the U.S. National Security Council appeared indifferent to requests for comment.

AUKUS is easily the largest defense project Australia has ever undertaken. They’ve planned to invest an enormous A$368 billion ($240 billion) over thirty years, part of which is devoted to U.S. production. While such a partnership might seem beneficial to Australia, the question arises– should the U.S. accommodate its allies at the risk of weakening its own defense?

News of the U.S. review emerged shortly after the British government declared plans to pour billions into upgrading their submarine industrial base. This move takes into account BAE Systems in Barrow and Rolls-Royce Submarines in Derby, aimed at facilitating an increase in submarine production. Using AUKUS funds for this purpose rather than for American defense needs adds to concerns about overcommitting resources to other nations.

Biden’s AUKUS deal would expand the nuclear submarine group adding Australia by 2032. To infuse a sense of reality into this ill-understood move by the Biden administration, it’s important to note that currently, only six countries globally, including the U.S. and the UK, operate nuclear submarines. However, the review conducted by the Trump administration could modify all plans.

Under the initial AUKUS initiative, the U.S. and Britain would launch a forward deployment of their submarines starting from 2027 out of an Australian naval base in Western Australia. This forward-thinking move appears useful on the surface but reemphasizes the concerns of stretching U.S. resources in uncertain international partnerships. This all at the cost of local defense infrastructure.

Despite Australia not confirming their participation in potential conflicts involving the U.S. and China, Colby insists on the historical alliance between the countries and speculates Australia would side with the U.S. ‘I think we can make a decent bet that Australia would be there with us in the event of a conflict,’ Colby said, although this wager appears to be based more on trust than concrete commitments.

At a recent Congress meeting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed these concerns while discussing Australia’s newly gained defense capabilities due to Biden’s questionable AUKUS defense pact. ‘We want to make sure those capabilities are part of how they use them with their submarines, but also how they integrate with us as allies,’ Hegseth indicated—however, this discussion centers more on allies’ needs than the U.S.’s defense priorities.

Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who signed a previous agreement for French submarines before shelving it for the AUKUS pact, recently expressed doubts over Australia’s acquisition of the submarines, indicating another potentially crucial misstep by Biden. It is becoming increasingly likely that instead of attaining submarines, Australia will serve as a large base for the American Navy in Western Australia.

In conclusion, while there is an inherent necessity for international defense alliances, the consequences of such an unbalanced pact such as AUKUS under the Biden administration raise more concerns than they claim to address. It’s crucial to commend the current administration’s decision to review it and realign it with the ‘America First’ policy for the interests of our national security.