The House of Commons defence committee said that shortcomings in the delivery of Aukus threaten to prevent the promise from becoming a reality. It called on the prime minister to take a more visible role to counter political drift, stressing that only strong leadership from the top can ensure Aukus receives the funding and priority it demands.
The committee also highlighted severe pressures on UK submarine capabilities. It noted that HMS Anson, Britain's only attack-class submarine at sea during a visit to Australia in February 2024, was rapidly recalled to the northern hemisphere when war broke out in the Gulf, undermining confidence in UK commitment. The UK must first build its Dreadnought class submarines and is limited to a single shipyard at Barrow-in-Furness, which requires a £200 million upgrade whose timeline has already slipped.
Australia is heavily dependent on the UK's ability to design and build the new SSN-Aukus submarine class. Any delay could leave Australia without a sovereign long-term submarine capability. Australia plans to buy three to five Virginia class submarines from the US to cover the gap, but US capacity to deliver those boats is also in serious jeopardy. Australia has promised £4.6 billion to boost UK shipbuilding capacity and has already sent nearly half a billion dollars to the UK Ministry of Defence.