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WA Minister for Defence Industry Paul Papalia CSC has wrapped up a defence mission to the United States, identifying a number of opportunities for closer collaboration and partnership with the US defence industry and government in support of AUKUS.
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As part of this official trip on behalf of the Western Australia Cook government, Defence Industry Minister Paul Papalia CSC used the trip to highlight WA’s strategic significance in the Indo-Pacific region and emphasise its role as a crucial hub for maritime operations and surveillance.
Minister Papalia said, “Western Australia is an essential player when it comes to the trilateral AUKUS alliance and the Cook government remains committed to growing our local defence industry capabilities.”
In addition to this, Minister Papalia met with officials at the White House, the Pentagon, and Congress and also visited the largest military shipbuilding company in the US, Huntington Ingalls Industries, before touring the Pearl Harbor naval shipyard, along with meeting key personnel and decisionmakers related to the delivery of AUKUS, including:
- Rear Admiral Eileen Laubacher, Special Assistant to the President and senior director of the South Asia, National Security Council at the White House
- Madeline Mortelmans, acting Assistant Secretary of Defence for Strategies, Plans and Capabilities
- Abe Denmark, senior adviser to the Secretary of Defence for AUKUS at the Pentagon
- Senator Jack Reed, chairman of the Senate armed services committee
“The US mission was a unique opportunity for WA’s defence industry to be able to interact with key AUKUS stakeholders firsthand and establish relationships which will no doubt prove fruitful in the future. Approximately 700 US Navy personnel will relocate to WA in the coming years as part of AUKUS arrangements, many of whom will be bringing their families,” Minister Papalia explained.
The meetings reaffirmed the state’s commitment to building a nuclear submarine sustainment capability and sought advice on opportunities for WA companies to enter the US defence supply chain.
