SYDNEY: Australia said Thursday it is “very confident” in the future of a US agreement to equip its navy with a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, after the Trump administration put the pact under review. The 2021 AUKUS deal joins Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States in a multi-decade effort to balance China’s growing military might. It aims to arm Australia with a fleet of cutting-edge, nuclear-powered submarines from the United States and provides for cooperation in developing an array of warfare technologies.

The Pentagon has launched a review of the 2021 submarine deal with the UK and Australia

The move is likely to alarm Australia, which sees the submarines as critical to its defence as tensions grow over China’s military build-up.