Aukus submarine deal under threat due to UK's 'dwindling political leadership', MPs warn

Oliver Partridge
Mon, 27 Apr 2026 23:01:01 +0000

Britain's Aukus deal with the United States and Australia is in jeopardy due to waning political commitment, stalling investment, and an overstretched submarine fleet, a damning parliamentary defence report has warned.

The Commons Defence Committee today concluded "shortcomings and failures threaten to prevent the promise becoming a reality" for the trilateral pact, established in 2021 to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines while deepening defence technology collaboration.

The committee found senior political engagement has "faded", attributing the difficulties to insufficient funding and poor prioritisation, rather than technical obstacles.

MPs warned of investment at Barrow-in-Furness, home to Britain's sole submarine construction yard, "faltering", describing the facility's regeneration as "too big to fail" given Aukus's heavy reliance on the shipyard's success.

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Committee chairman Tan Dhesi urged the Prime Minister to assume a more prominent role in steering the programme, warning against "political drift" that has taken hold.

He said: "Any undertaking of this scale requires committed, consistent political will and leadership. Unfortunately, we found that the UK's political leadership on Aukus has dwindled.

"Aukus can't be seen as just another defence programme - if it is to stay on track, then leadership must come from the very top."

The Labour MP cautioned even small setbacks risked compounding over time, with "potentially severe consequences" for national security and Britain's relationships with Washington and Canberra.

MPs also pressed for greater public engagement on Aukus as part of a broader "national conversation" about defence, arguing such support would prove essential for a project of this duration and expense.

The committee highlighted submarine availability has reached critically low levels, placing immense strain on the Royal Navy's capacity to fulfil its Aukus commitments.

Earlier this year, HMS Anson, the only operational Astute-class attack submarine available, sailed to Australia for the first visit mandated under the agreement.

However, the deployment was reportedly cut short when conflict erupted in Iran, leaving no alternative vessels to respond to the crisis.

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"Submarine availability is critically low," Mr Dhesi warned.

"Without urgent infrastructure improvements at HMNB Devonport and HMNB Clyde, the Government risks finding itself unable to meet its obligations under Aukus."

The regular Australian visits required by the pact could leave the Navy with "no breathing space" during emergencies, MPs heard, prompting calls for swift upgrades at the Plymouth and Faslane bases.

Beyond the submarine programme, MPs expressed deep concern about the second pillar of Aukus, which focuses on collaborative development of advanced defence technologies between the three nations.

While acknowledging this strand could prove "transformative", the committee concluded it had "so far failed to deliver on its promise".

A delegation visit to Washington left MPs in "no doubt that time was running out for it to retain credibility", the report found.

The committee recommended that proposals to bring additional countries into pillar two should be shelved for now.

Instead, ministers should concentrate on reaching "swift agreement" with American and Australian counterparts on initiatives that would deliver "tangible benefit" to military personnel on the ground.