Review of AUKUS Agreement and Shipbuilding Plans

The Pentagon is reviewing the AUKUS agreement, which involves the U.S., UK, and Australia working together on acquiring submarines and sharing technology. There are concerns about shipbuilding delays and the need for increased defense spending. Rep. Rosa DeLauro questioned Secretary Pete Hegseth about the shipbuilding plan.

Outsourcing U.S. Shipbuilding

President-elect Donald Trump suggests outsourcing U.S. shipbuilding due to lagging capabilities compared to China. This contradicts his campaign promise to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. and implement tariffs on imports.

Russian Submarine Deployments in the Irish Sea

Russia has twice deployed attack submarines to conduct missions around the Irish Sea since the invasion of Ukraine. The Russian Navy has a large submarine fleet. The deployments could be to gather intelligence on British and Irish Sea defenses and intimidate the U.K. over its support for Ukraine. NATO is open to helping Ireland protect its undersea cables.