Turnbull says Australia ‘mugged by reality’ on Aukus deal as US set to halve submarine build

Former PM says the reality is the US will not make their submarine deficit worse by giving or selling submarines to Australia

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The former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said Australia has been “mugged by reality” over the Aukus submarine deal after the US announced it will halve the number of submarines it will build next year, throwing the Australia end of the agreement into doubt.

With the US president, Joe Biden, continuing to face a hostile Congress, the Pentagon budget draft request includes construction of just one Virginia-class nuclear submarine for 2025.

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