The AUKUS partnership entered what ministers repeatedly described as a full steam ahead phase on December 10, 2025, in Washington as defense leaders from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States gathered at the Pentagon. The 4th AUKUS Defense Ministers Meeting moved forward initiatives that all three governments have publicly positioned as core elements of their approach to deterrence and stability.

United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth opened the fourth AUKUS defense ministers meeting by praising what he called “the most robust trilateral relationship ever seen.” He said the partnership reflects “a practical application of hard power designed to support peace through strength,” adding that both Australia and the United Kingdom “have consistently stepped up.”

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles said his government was energized by the pace of progress and by President Trump’s direction to move “at full speed.” Marles explained that the motto has shaped the group’s work since the leaders met six weeks earlier. He said this was the first AUKUS defense ministers meeting with Hegseth and that it follows “very productive consultations” held only a couple of days earlier.

UK Defense Secretary John Healey described the moment as “the most significant military collaboration for Britain in seventy years.” Healey recalled that the last time cooperation reached this depth was in 1958 when the two nations agreed to share nuclear technology. He said all three governments have now completed their AUKUS reviews and are united by “a determination to deliver.” He highlighted the ambition to build what he called “the most powerful and most feared attack submarine in the world.”

A Wider Week of Diplomacy

The ministers meeting formed part of a broader week of diplomacy in Washington. On December 8, the United States hosted the 40^th annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations, bringing Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Hegseth together with Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

Rubio emphasized the longevity of the alliance and said Australia is the only partner that has fought with the United States “in every major conflict of the last several decades.” He said momentum from the October leaders meeting created the right setting to hold these consultations before the end of the year. Rubio also pointed to the critical minerals’ framework signed by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, describing it as essential to securing supply chains that “cannot be leveraged by competitors.”

Rubio said the Quad remains a complementary pillar and recalled that his first meeting as Secretary of State took place with counterparts from India, Japan and Australia. He said the United States intends to build on that work in the coming year.

Wong echoed the long history of shared service and said Australia continues to rely on its alliance with the United States for “the peace and stability of the Indo Pacific.” She said AUKUS is “a win for all three countries” and repeated that Australia approaches the alliance with a focus on concrete outcomes linked to joint investment in critical technologies and minerals.

Defense Integration from Western Australia to the Pacific

Hegseth outlined an ambitious defiance agenda that includes force posture initiatives across northern Australia. These plans will enable expanded bomber rotations, additional Marine deployments and the pre-positioning of Osprey aircraft. He also detailed ongoing work on coproduction of guided weapons and plans to advance cooperation on hypersonic attack cruise missiles, precision strike systems and torpedoes. Hegseth welcomed Australia’s forthcoming contribution of one billion dollars to expand United States submarine production capacity and said strengthening AUKUS serves the interests of all three partners.

A major milestone is due in 2027 with the establishment of Submarine Rotational Force West at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia. Marles said this marks a significant step in building Australia’s long-term nuclear-powered submarine capability. He pointed to recent visits by United States nuclear powered submarines, including USS Vermont, as early indicators that operational integration is already taking shape.

Marles also highlighted the level of Australian integration within the United States Defense Forces. He noted that deputy commanders of the United States Army, Navy and Air Force in the Pacific “are now institutionally Australian,” reflecting deep daily cooperation and long-standing trust across the services.

A Clear Signal for the Year Ahead

Wong and Marles closed the visit by affirming that next year will focus on delivery, deeper posture integration and continued progress toward the arrival of the first AUKUS submarines. Their message was that momentum is now established and the partnership will only intensify through 2026.

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