Prime Minister Anthony Albanese could seek direct assurances about the AUKUS trilateral defence agreement if he meets US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly later this month, Australian officials said following a major funding announcement.
The federal government confirmed that nuclear-powered submarines Australia will acquire under AUKUS would dock at the Henderson Defence Precinct outside Perth and pledged A$12 billion in cash to the site, part of a broader A$25 billion defence spending package described by ministers as the largest peacetime increase in Australian defence funding.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the investment would allow allied submarines — including from the United States and United Kingdom — to operate from HMAS Stirling south of Perth and could enable US vessels to undergo maintenance at the facility. "I'm sure this will be welcomed by the US, but fundamentally it's a really important decision for Australia," Marles told Seven's Sunrise program. "It does provide the US with an opportunity to operate from HMAS Sterling south of Perth. That's really important in terms of getting more of our allied submarines into the water, more sea days and this is exactly what America wants."
The AUKUS partnership, which commits the United States, United Kingdom and Australia to deeper cooperation on defence technology including nuclear-powered submarines, has been under review in the US. The Trump administration has urged allies to increase defence spending to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product; Australia currently spends about 2 percent.
Marles described the A$12 billion as "the biggest peacetime increase in Australia's defence spending" and said total expenditure tied to the precinct and related measures was A$25 billion. He declined to confirm whether or when Albanese and Trump would meet, but said a meeting between the two leaders was likely "at some point in the not-too-distant future."
Former Australian ambassador to the United States Arthur Sinodinos said the timing of the funding announcement suggested the government wanted to have tangible commitments to present if a meeting with Trump occurred. "The timing would be, I think, pitched to lay the groundwork and have something to put on the table with the president," Sinodinos told AAP. He said Albanese would be seeking a presidential statement of support for AUKUS in person: "While we had indications of support from others in the administration, it's important for the prime minister to hear it directly from the president."
Analysts said the investment responds to longstanding gaps in Australia's ability to sustain and maintain naval vessels. Mike Hughes, defence strategy director at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the funding "is making up for almost a complete lack of investment in Australia's ability to build, maintain, sustain and repair vessels, particularly naval military vessels." He added that the change reflected a shift toward greater sovereign capability as global geopolitical tensions intensify.
Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor welcomed the additional spending as overdue but argued it would not be sufficient to support a steady rotation of US and UK submarines into Australian waters until later in the decade. Taylor said further investment would be required to accelerate the timeline for allied rotations and maintenance work.
The funding announcement comes as world leaders prepare to gather for the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where bilateral meetings on security and alliance commitments commonly occur. Any meeting between Albanese and Trump would give the prime minister an opportunity to seek clear, public support from the White House for the direction of AUKUS amid ongoing US internal reviews and calls for higher allied defence spending.
Australia initially joined AUKUS in 2021 to acquire nuclear-powered submarines and deepen defence cooperation with Washington and London. The latest domestic investment in Perth aims to position Australia as a more resilient partner able to host and service advanced naval platforms while bolstering the country's own maritime sustainment capabilities.
Officials cautioned that details of basing arrangements, force rotations and the scope of allied maintenance activities will depend on further planning and bilateral discussions. Any formal statements of support from the US president or changes to alliance commitments would follow diplomatic engagement in the coming weeks and months.