The United States has endorsed the AUKUS security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the US, following a five-month Pentagon review that the department said identified opportunities to put the deal on the "strongest possible footing".
US President Donald Trump's administration said earlier this year it was reviewing the 2021 deal, signed under his predecessor Joe Biden.
The agreement will see Australia buy at least three nuclear-powered attack submarines from the US in the early 2030s, and build its own vessels using US technology in the future.
"The purpose of the review was to identify opportunities to strengthen AUKUS and ensure its long-term success, in alignment with President Trump's 'America first' agenda," Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on Friday.
"Consistent with President Trump's guidance that AUKUS should move 'full steam ahead,' the review identified opportunities to put AUKUS on the strongest possible footing," Parnell said in a statement.
Pentagon review identifies 'critical deadlines'
US congressman Joe Courtney, who co-chairs the Friends of Australia Caucus, said the review endorsed the $368 billion deal.
Courtney added that the report determined there were "critical deadlines" that all three countries would have to meet, and that "maintaining disciplined adherence to schedule is paramount".
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said on Friday that he was pleased the US review had confirmed that AUKUS was "full steam ahead".
"We'll engage constructively with its findings and its recommendations on how to improve AUKUS even further," Conroy told reporters.
"I'm confident, so far, AUKUS is hitting every single milestone that we've set it and this review confirms that."
The government is considering the report ahead of crucial talks in Washington next week between Defence Minister Richard Marles and his US counterpart Pete Hegseth.
Marles said on Thursday that Australia is "working through" the review, which has been handed to the Albanese government but has not been made public.
Conroy said on Friday it was up to the US to decide whether to release the document publicly.
"We're working through the review right now, and we've said publicly over the last two years where we can improve delivery, improve performance of AUKUS, we will do that."
Concerns that the agreement would sink were eased when Trump signalled his support for the program in a meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House in October.
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