Posting on his social accounts, Morrison said the move is “well within the remit” of the US Department of Defense and not dissimilar to a recent UK defence review conducted after the election of a new government.
“This is a departmental review, not a policy decision, and should not be over interpreted,” he wrote.
Space is already a part of the current security partnership, with a new AUKUS radar designed to track dangerous objects in geosynchronous orbit already complete in Exmouth, Western Australia.
Scott Morrison, meanwhile, has a unique position as the Prime Minister who helped found AUKUS, while also being the current chairman of Space Centre Australia, the planned spaceport in far north Queensland.
“The focus of the review is not new and rightly centres on US submarine production rates,” Morrison continued. “This is a known and genuine challenge for the US industrial base.”
This goes directly to the maintenance and expansion of the US submarine fleet, and it’s an area where Australia is already uniquely contributing under AUKUS Pillar I. Importantly, this is also a challenge the Trump Administration is committed to addressing.
“AUKUS is fundamentally about strengthening collective deterrence, particularly in the Indo-Pacific against potential adversaries. Pillar I is about more submarines, not fewer, across all three partners. Pillar II, and the development of the trilaterally-produced AUKUS-class submarine with the UK, continues to move forward with strategic purpose.
PROMOTED CONTENT
“The case for AUKUS was first built on convincing the US and UK defence institutions during the period of the first Trump Administration and the Johnson Government about the technical merit, sovereign capability, and shared security interests. It has enjoyed bipartisan and institutional support in both Washington and London from the outset. That foundation matters and was important to secure.
“As the Pentagon leads this review, the depth of US-Australia engagement, the professionalism of our collaboration, and the consistent backing from Secretary Hegseth, as reaffirmed in his discussions with Minister Marles, remain reasons for continued confidence.
“Now is the time for Australia to make the case again. We have a good case to make in both our own interests and those of our AUKUS partners, especially in the US.”
Morrison previously urged the AUKUS agreement to evolve further into the space domain as part of the third phase of its development.
Speaking at Space Connect’s Australian Space Summit & Exhibition, he urged Australia to develop a stronger space capability that would be interoperable with systems from the US, UK and Japan.
“By 2030, with deliberate development, Australia can offer unique contributions: southern-hemisphere sensors watching the skies, a strategic location for space operations, and additional resilient satellites and launch options,” he said.
“An allied operation in the Indo-Pacific in 2030 could count on Australian satellites for communications and surveillance, Australian sensors to warn of enemy ASAT (anti-satellite weapon) moves, and even Australian launch pads to rapidly deploy new assets.”
The current AUKUS radar in WA, meanwhile, was completed earlier this year and three months ahead of schedule.
The instrument is one of three planned under the defence coalition, with two other sites planned for the UK and the US.
It’s hoped the three together – known as the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) – will provide 24-hour global and all-weather coverage that’s difficult to obtain with existing technology.
Adam Thorn
Adam is a journalist who has worked for more than 40 prestigious media brands in the UK and Australia. Since 2005, his varied career has included stints as a reporter, copy editor, feature writer and editor for publications as diverse as Fleet Street newspaper The Sunday Times, fashion bible Jones, media and marketing website Mumbrella as well as lifestyle magazines such as GQ, Woman’s Weekly, Men’s Health and Loaded. He joined Momentum Media in early 2020 and currently writes for Australian Aviation and World of Aviation.
Receive the latest developments and updates on Australia’s space industry direct to your inbox. Subscribe today to Space Connect here.
