MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
17 June 2025
- USA not building submarines fast enough to meet their own needs, let alone Australia’s
- AUKUS likely to make Australia less prepared and a bigger target
- Pentagon inquiry into AUKUS is appropriate – as is the UK parliament inquiry
- The Australian parliament must follow suit and authorise an independent inquiry
- Nearly half of Australian voters support a review of AUKUS and nuclear sub acquisition
Critical concerns exist about the capacity of the United States to produce enough Virginia Class nuclear powered subamarines for itself, let alone enough also for Australia.
‘With the US being able to simply walk away from the AUKUS deal, if they cannot produce sufficient submarines, there is the very real possibility that Australia will end up with no subs at all – but still having to pay billions of dollars’, stated retired army Major Cameron Leckie, spokesperson for IPAN.
Broader concerns about the AUKUS deal have been raised by a growing number of prominent voices from academia, former military personnel, former politicians and other community leaders.
‘Expenditure on AUKUS is not for the defence of our territory, but is part of preparations for Australia to participate in a US war against China, despite there being no actual evidence that China presents a military threat to Australia’, stated Mr Leckie.
Macquarie University Academic Dr Vince Scappatura[i] has warned that ‘If a war did break out, however, the extensive US warfighting presence on Australian territory hosted by Australian defence facilities, including multiple air, naval and intelligence bases across northern and western Australia, will all become potential military targets for enemies of the United States’.
Dr Scappatura has also warned that ‘Recent messaging from the United States indicating its readiness to ‘fight and win decisively’ a war with China over Taiwan is deeply concerning. [2][ii] ‘Australia must not be drawn into preparations for, or involvement in, such a conflict’,
‘IPAN believes that the recently announced Pentagon inquiry into AUKUS is appropriate – as is the previously announced UK parliament inquiry’, said Mr Leckie.
‘Further, IPAN has for some time called for the Labor Government to commit to a full independent review of AUKUS with a view to exercising Australia’s right to withdraw from the agreement by giving 12 months’ notice’, stated Mr Leckie.
‘What we need is for Australia to adopt an independent, peace-promoting foreign policy in the interests of genuine security for the Australian people. Continued trade and pursuit of mutually beneficial relations in our region offers our best security’, continued Mr Leckie.
IPAN urges the Australian Government to also heed the concerns of the broader Australia community, with declining support amongst the population for pouring $35 Million a day every day for 30 years into AUKUS. Polling since the election of Donald Trump shows that almost half of voters, 48 per cent, want the Australian government to review the AUKUS defence agreement and acquisition of nuclear submarines. In fact, with 33% of voters neither agreeing nor disagreeing, only 19 per cent of voters are against a review.
Media Interviews: Mr Cameron Leckie 0413 226 546
Media Liaison: Jonathan Pilbrow 0403 611 815
Bio: Retired Army Major Cameron Leckie served 24 years in the Australian Army retiring with the rank of Major. As member of the Royal Australian Corps of Signals he served in a number of regimental and training appointments, concluding his service as the Executive Officer of the 1st Signal Regiment. He deployed to East Timor (Operation WARDEN), the Solomon Islands (Operation ANODE) and Sumatra (Operation SUMATRA ASSIST). Cameron is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Southern Queensland.