On 10 December 2025, the U.S. Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, hosted Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and the UK Defence Secretary John Healey at the Pentagon. The UK Ministry of Defence said the meeting reaffirmed the three nations’ commitment to AUKUS.
The statement repeated the “full steam ahead” message and highlighted priority work on infrastructure and workforce to support a strengthened trilateral submarine industrial base. The ministers also agreed to inject pace and concentrate on delivery across the programme.
The ministers underlined the importance of submarine cooperation under Pillar I to maintain a credible deterrent. Pillar I covers Australia’s acquisition of conventionally armed, nuclear‑powered submarines, with leaders previously setting early‑2030s readiness milestones under the agreed pathway.
They also discussed accelerating advanced capabilities under Pillar II, with emphasis on near‑term warfighting needs. The UK release records a shared intention to quicken delivery of these projects.
Recent activity illustrates what Pillar II is aiming to field. In March 2024, trilateral teams trialled AI‑enabled autonomous sensing systems during Project Convergence, while UK‑run AUKUS innovation challenges have targeted electronic warfare and undersea command, control and communications.
Delivery depends on people and facilities. In Western Australia, the Australian Submarine Agency reports major redevelopment at HMAS Stirling and investment of up to A$8 billion to prepare for rotational operations. October’s maintenance period on USS Vermont involved Australian personnel as part of the skills uplift.
For the UK, ministers have set a continuous‑build model for SSN‑AUKUS, with up to 12 attack submarines to be constructed and thousands of roles supported across the supply chain; government statements cite more than 7,000 new jobs and over 21,000 roles at peak.
Cross‑border technology transfer is being eased through the UK’s Open General Licence for AUKUS nations, updated on 2 October 2025. The licence allows specified dual‑use items and military goods to move between the three countries subject to registration and compliance conditions.
From as early as 2027, Submarine Rotational Force–West will see one UK and up to four US nuclear‑powered submarines rotate through HMAS Stirling. Australian sailors will gain at‑sea experience while maintenance teams build capacity ahead of sovereign operations in the early 2030s.
The UK Ministry of Defence added that, following the conclusion of a U.S. review, the partnership is now focused on delivery. Further announcements can be expected on Pillar II prototyping and industrial base milestones as implementation continues.