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Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy and US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks discussed ways for the two countries to strengthen defence cooperation in the Indo-Pacific during Conroy’s ongoing US visit.
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According to the Pentagon, the pair covered deepening defence industrial cooperation, including supply chain resilience, co-development and co-production, as well as the AUKUS partnership.
They also identified areas for further cooperation, including in the Pacific Islands.
During the meeting, the United States confirmed that Conroy and Hicks committed to their “ironclad alliance”, committing to deepening cooperation with regional allies to support a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The meeting comes as concerns have mounted in recent weeks over data indicating that the production of Virginia Class submarines has declined to fewer than two per year. The drop suggests that Australia will be two to three years late in receiving their first Virginia Class submarine from the United States.
Minister Conroy explained that he expects his visit to the United States to further deepen AUKUS collaboration which includes the delivery of Australia’s first nuclear-powered submarines.
His visit will include a visit to the HII Virginia Class shipyard.
In a recent release, the minister downplayed concerns over the delay in Virginia Class construction.
“Our recent announcement of the build and sustainment partners for Australia’s conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines marked an important milestone for the development of supply chains and workforce with the United States and United Kingdom, building our collective industrial capacity and more robust and resilient supply chains,” the minister’s office released.
“This follows the passage of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act through the US Congress in December last year, which demonstrated unprecedented support for the AUKUS partnership, including through scientific, technological and industrial cooperation.”
The defence industry minister has also added the Sea-Air-Space Exposition to his US itinerary, joining a roundtable on how businesses can undertake work in the United States and providing updates on the AUKUS initiative. His trip will also include visits to members of the Biden administration, Congress, and the World Bank to support development in the Pacific.
Sixty companies are expected to exhibit at the Australian Pavilion at the exposition.
