The Hon Pat Conroy MP

• Minister for Defence Industry
• Minister for International Development and the Pacific

MEDIA RELEASE

Tonight I will travel to the United States as head of Australia’s delegation to the Honolulu Leadership Dialogue from 25-28 October.

The Honolulu Leadership Dialogue brings together senior Australian and US defence officials, parliamentarians, security experts, and industry leaders to discuss the complex operating environment across the Indo-Pacific. It is held by the Australian American Leadership Dialogue.

While in Hawaii, I will meet with the senior leadership of the United States Indo-Pacific Command. It will be an opportunity to discuss our shared geostrategic challenges as well as our plans to acquire conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, and Australia’s plan to manufacture missiles by 2025.

I will also be discussing in detail the sustainment requirements for UK and US submarines under Submarine Rotational Force-West from 2027, and Australia’s Virginia class submarines to be acquired in the early 2030s. I will visit the US Pacific Fleet training centre that develops a world-class submarine workforce, to further understand the infrastructure Australia will require to train an Australian workforce to operate nuclear-powered submarines in the future.

Australia’s partnership with the United States is built on an enduring foundation of trust and a long history of collaboration. I look forward to discussing how we can continue working together to strengthen deterrence and uphold the global rules-based order.