A U.S. official announced on Thursday that the Pentagon had completed its review of AUKUS, the project designed to supply Australia with nuclear submarines. The Pentagon found ways to make the deal "strongest" possible.

The U.S. government announced in June that it would be reviewing the AUKUS deal worth hundreds of millions of dollars, which also involved Britain. A U.S. official stated the result of this review will be discussed at the meeting of U.S. defense and foreign ministers in Washington next week.

Washington will also host a trilateral meeting of ministers, including the UK.

The review found opportunities to strengthen AUKUS, in line with President Trump's directive that it should go 'full speed ahead'. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell explained.

Richard Marles, Australian Defence Minister, said on Thursday morning that Australia has received the U.S. evaluation of the AUKUS Project and is "working it through."

Un British official confirmed that Britain also received and appreciated the review.

The review had caused alarm in Canberra over what would be Australia's largest-ever commitment to defense. But concerns were eased after Trump expressed his support for this program during a meeting in October with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The AUKUS plan announced by the Biden administration in 2023 envisages that the U.S. will sell several Virginia-class, nuclear-powered subs to Australia. Britain and Australia would then build a brand new AUKUS class submarine using U.S. technologies.

Elbridge Colby was the Under Secretary of Defense who led the review. He said that last year, submarines were an important commodity and U.S. manufacturers could not meet American demand.

Australia has committed A$368 Billion ($240 Billion) to the program over a period of three decades. This includes billions in investment into the U.S. sub production base.

An official in the United States said that the meeting between the Australian and U.S. defense and foreign ministers, as well as the U.S. secretary of state and defense, was scheduled to take place Monday. A meeting with Britain's Defence Secretary John Healey and the top officials of both countries was then expected to occur on Wednesday in Washington.

Britain and Australia are yet to confirm these meetings. Reporting by Idrees, Phil Stewart, and David Brunnstrom, in Washington, and Kirsty, Needham, in Sydney. Editing by Toby Chopra and Chizu Nomiyama.

(source: Reuters)