AUKUS: Nuclear Submarines Are to Conventional Ones as Machine Guns Are to Muskets
Virtually the only good thing the Biden Administration did was its AUKUS deal to sell Virginia-class submarines to Australia. The Trump Administration is reviewing the deal. They should reaffirm it.
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NOTE: An essential part of Donald Trump’s foreign policy is to stand up allies as true partners, not dependents. This is exactly why he’s pushed them to meet and expand their defense spending commitments, as well as their domestic defense industries (not neglecting to buy arms from U.S., of course).
Net effect? The U.S. will still possess the world’s largest, most powerful military. But key allied forces will be meaningful adjuncts to it, a foreign “National Guard” if you will, to be called up in time of mutual need. A strengthened German or Polish Army greatly reduces European dependence on U.S. power, especially in times when America might be engaged elsewhere. Likewise, a resurgent Japanese Navy creates meaningful problems for any potential Chinese threat, especially an invasion of Taiwan, and does so long before U.S. forces could reasonably be expected to arrive on the scene.
Selling F-14s to Iran in the 1970…