Prime Minister Anthony Albanese could meet US President Donald Trumplater this month during the sidelines of theUnited NationsMeeting of the General Assembly and is expected to request guarantees regarding the future of the AUKUS three-nation defense pact.
The government has stated that the nuclear-powered submarines Australia will receive through the agreement will be based at the Henderson Defence Precinct outsidePerth, which has been given a $12 billion cash infusion.
The United States might also decide to carry out maintenance on its submarines at the facility.
The AUKUS partnership is being examined in the United States, with the Trump administration calling on allies to raise their military expenditure to 3.5 percent of their gross domestic product.
Australia's current expenditure is approximately two percent.
Defence Minister Richard Marles has labeled the $12 billion investment as the 'largest peacetime boost in Australia's military spending' ever recorded, bringing overall spending to $25 billion.
"I'm confident this will be received positively by the US, but at its core, it's a significant choice for Australia," Mr. Marles said during an interview on Seven's Sunrise program on Monday.
It offers the US the chance to conduct operations from HMAS Sterling, located south of Perth.
It's crucial for getting more of our allied submarines into the water, increasing sea time, and this is precisely what America aims for.
Mr Marles refused to confirm whether or not Mr Albanese and Mr Trump will meet, but mentioned that he is confident 'there will be a meeting between our two leaders at some point in the near future'.
Former Australian envoy to the United States, Arthur Sinodinos, highlighted the importance of revealing the increase before a potential encounter with Trump.
"I believe the timing is set to establish a foundation and have something to present to the president," he said to AAP.
In exchange, Mr Albanese is looking for guarantees from the president regarding his backing for AUKUS, said Mr Sinodinos.
"Although we received signals of support from others within the administration, it is crucial for the prime minister to hear it directly from the president," he stated.
It also enhances Australia's value as an ally, as stated by Mike Hughes, director of defence strategy at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
"It's compensating for a near-total absence of investment in Australia's capacity to construct, maintain, sustain, and repair ships, especially naval military vessels," he stated.
Given the current decline in the global political landscape, Australia must focus on developing these self-reliant capabilities, as we have relied on others for many years.
Opposition defense spokesperson Angus Taylor stated that the extra funding was long overdue but fell short of adequately facilitating the rotation of US and UK submarines into the late 2030s.
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