The Australia-United Kingdom-United States security pact, commonly known as AUKUS, appears to have passed a Trump administration review unscathed, according to a recent Nikkei Asia report that cites an official from an AUKUS member country. Unless something dramatically changes between now and Oct. 20, when Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visits the White House—always a possibility in Trump world—then Washington will continue participating in AUKUS as before.

AUKUS is a key component of the Indo-Pacific strategy that the Trump administration inherited from its predecessor. Critical to the defense of Australia, the pact entails joint production of nuclear-powered submarines, the sale of three Virginia-class submarines to Canberra by the early 2030s (with an option for two more), as well as many other collaborative measures, such as U.S. troop rotations at Australian bases and cooperation on hypersonic missiles and other weapons technologies that will enhance deterrence against China.

The Australia-United Kingdom-United States security pact, commonly known as AUKUS, appears to have passed a Trump administration review unscathed, according to a recent Nikkei Asia report that cites an official from an AUKUS member country. Unless something dramatically changes between now and Oct. 20, when Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visits the White House—always a possibility in Trump world—then Washington will continue participating in AUKUS as before.

AUKUS is a key component of the Indo-Pacific strategy that the Trump administration inherited from its predecessor. Critical to the defense of Australia, the pact entails joint production of nuclear-powered submarines, the sale of three Virginia-class submarines to Canberra by the early 2030s (with an option for two more), as well as many other collaborative measures, such as U.S. troop rotations at Australian bases and cooperation on hypersonic missiles and other weapons technologies that will enhance deterrence against China.

It was certainly not a foregone conclusion that AUKUS would survive heightened scrutiny. U.S. President Donald Trump has soured on many of Washington’s traditional allies and partners, questioned long-standing U.S. security commitments, and lashed out at friendly countries with harsh tariffs. He has made it a point to reverse many, if not most, Biden-era programs, and thus AUKUS—the brainchild of Biden administration Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell—appeared to be on the chopping block as well. Indeed, administration sources early on cast doubt over some of the pact’s provisions. Additionally, the........

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