The AUKUS alliance will move forward unhindered by the pace at which US submarines are being produced.

Whil? m?n? insi?? th? ??ltw?? ?ix?t? ?n th? c????nt st?t? ?? th? s??m??in? in??st?i?l ??s? ?s ? st?tic ?ict???, th? N?v? h?s m??? ???l ??????ss in ?x??n?in? c???cit?, s??vic? ???ici?ls h?v? ?ss???? C?n???ss.

T? ??t th? ch?ll?n?? int? ???s??ctiv?, c????ntl?, th? l??? shi?????s, El?ct?ic B??t ?n? N?w???t N?ws Shi???il?in?, ??? t?sk?? with c?nst??ctin? ????t 100,000 t?ns w??th ?? s??m??in?s. Th?t is ????l? th? t?nn??? ???m j?st ? ??w ????s ???. With m??? shi?????s ???m Al???m?, S??th C???lin?, ?n? P?nns?lv?ni? ??in? ?n??????? in st??l ????ic?ti?n, th? ??????m will ????l? ???in t? 200,000 in th? n??? ??t???.

This ??w??? t??j?ct??? sh??l? instill ???l c?n?i??nc? in ??? s??m??in? in??st?i?l ??s?.

It’s n? s?c??t, h?w?v??, th?t th? N?v? h?s ???n ch?ll?n??? ?? ?????ti?n?l ?v?il??ilit? ??t?s ?? s??m??in?s ??c??s? ?? c?ntin??? ??ckl??s, which ?n???c?ts ??? j?int ?????ts t? ??m? ?? ?????cti?n.

Whil? this m?? ?? t???, th? ti?? is cl???l? t??nin? ?n? sh??l? n?t ?? ?s?? ?s ? ???s?n t? st?ll AUKUS.

It h?s ???n ?i?ht m?nths sinc? th? h???s ?? ??v??nm?nt ?? A?st??li?, th? UK, ?n? th? US ?nn??nc?? th? s??ci?ic ?l?n — th? “??tim?l ??thw??” — t? ?ct??liz? th? hist??ic ??ct. It is ?n ????ci??s ??ck??? incl??in? th? s?l? ?? th??? Vi??ini?-cl?ss s??m??in?s t? th? A?st??li?n N?v? ?n? ????st sh??in? ?n? ??v?l??m?nt ?? ??v?nc?? t?chn?l??i?s, ?n? shi????? w??k???c?.

T? m?k? it h????n, s?v???l AUKUS m??s???s ?????s?? ?? th? N?v? h?v? ???n ch???in? th?i? w?? th????h v??i??s c?mmitt??s ?? th? S?n?t? ?n? th? H??s?, with th? ???l ?? incl?si?n in th? ?in?l Fisc?l Y??? 2024 N?ti?n?l D???ns? A?th??iz?ti?n Act.

Th?nk??ll?, l?st w??k’s S?n?t? ??ss??? ?? th? C?ntin?in? R?s?l?ti?n w?s ?cc?m??ni?? ?? ? v?t? ??? th? ????? ch?m??? t? j?in th? H??s? in ? C?n????nc? C?mmitt?? ?n th? l??isl?ti?n, which is l????? with ????s ?? “m?st-??” ???visi?ns, ??????l? th? m?st ???min?nt ??in? ?n??lin? l?n????? ??? ?x?c?ti?n ?? th? AUKUS s?c??it? ?????m?nt.

Th? s?? s??vic?s’s “st??t??ic ??ts???cin?” initi?tiv? w?s ?l????? ??n??? ?? C?n???ss ?s ???t ?? ? $2.3 ?illi?n inv?stm?nt ?v?? th? l?st ??w ????s. Th?t will ?? ???m?nt?? ?? ?n ???iti?n?l $3.7 ?illi?n in k?? s?ct??s ?c??ss th? ?nt????is? t? ?ns??? w? h?v? ???li?i?? w??k??s, m????niz?? shi?????s, ?n? ? st??l? s???l? ch?in t? m??t this inc???s?? ??m?n? si?n?l.

In c?n???ssi?n?l t?stim?n? in l?t? Oct????, N?v? l?????s ?ss??t?? th?t th?s? inv?stm?nts ??? ?l????? ???in? ?ivi??n?s. Th?nks t? n?w N?v? ???tn??shi?s with st?t? ?n? l?c?l t?l?nt ?i??lin?s ?c??ss th? c??nt??, th??? ??? ?v?? 7,000 w??k??s ?nt??in? th? s???li?? ??s? this ???? ?l?n?. This ???m?tic in?l?x ?? w??k??s, c?m?in?? with t????t?? s???li?? ??v?l??m?nt ?????ts, h?s inc???s?? c???cit? ?? 10 ???c?nt ?t 194 s???li??s in 31 st?t?s.

B? s?????in? c?nst??cti?n w??k t? sm?ll?? shi?????s ?n? ?x??n?in? th? ?s? ?? ??v?nc?? t?chn?l???, th? N?v? h?s ?ls? si?ni?ic?ntl? ????c?? c?nst??cti?n ???ss??? ?n? im???v?? ???ici?nc?.

Sinc? M??, th? ?????ti?n?l ?v?il??ilit? ?? ?tt?ck s??m??in?s h?s inc???s?? ???m 60 t? 66 ???c?nt ?n? ??? c?mmitt?? m??? cl??? th?t th? N?v? h?s ?n ?????ssiv?, $2 ?illi?n st??t??? t? hit 80 ???c?nt ?? 2028.

Fi?st, th? N?v? h?s ?l????? ??????mm?? inv?stm?nts t? ?ns??? s???? ???ts ??? ?n sh?lv?s ?????? ????i?s ??? ?v?n ????i??? — ?cc?l???tin? t??n????n? tim?. S?c?n?, lik? ?????ts m??? in s??m??in? c?nst??cti?n, th? N?v? is ??ts???cin? ??th int??m??i?t? m?int?n?nc? w??k ?n? c?m?l?t? ?n?in???in? ?v??h??ls ???m ???lic t? ??iv?t? shi?????s t? ????c? ???ss??? ?n? ??? c???cit? ?t ??? ???lic shi?????s. Fin?ll?, P??si??nt Bi??n’s $3.4 ?illi?n s???l?m?nt?l ??n?in? ?????st c?m?nts th? N?v?’s ??ilit? t? ?chi?v? ?n 80 ???c?nt ?????ti?n?l ?v?il??ilit? ??t?.

C?n???ss sh??l? ???l c?n?i??nt in ??? s??m??in? in??st?i?l ??s?’s ??ilit? t? m??t th? m?m?nt ?n? ??????? ??? inc???s?? ??m?n? ?v?? th? n?xt tw? ??c???s. N?w, l?wm?k??s m?st ??t h?sit?ti?ns ?si?? ?n? ?ct swi?tl? t? ??l?ill th? v?l??s P??si??nt Bi??n ??it???t?? t? P??si??nt Xi Jin?in? ???in? th?i? l?n?-?w?it?? m??tin?: ? “c?nn?ct??, ???s?????s, s?c???, ?n? ??sili?nt In??-P?ci?ic.”

J?? C???tn?? (D-C?nn.) is th? ??nkin? m?m??? ?? th? H??s? A?m?? S??vic?s S????w?? ?n? P??j?cti?n F??c?s s??c?mmitt??.