前澳大利亚总理Turnbull在一份独立调查提交书中发出严厉警告，指美国在AUKUS防务协议下向澳大利亚交付核动力潜艇的可能性较小[1]。他强调，美国需要在2029年前将弗吉尼亚级潜艇产量翻倍，以同时满足自身和澳大利亚的需求[1]，这一产能目标的实现存在重大不确定性。
Turnbull表示澳大利亚获得潜艇的风险"非常现实"[1]，该国面临完全失去潜艇能力的严峻局面，这将成为澳大利亚现代防御规划中最严重的失败[1]。为应对产能瓶颈，澳大利亚已派遣至多130名工人赴美协助推进潜艇生产[1]。对此，美国五角大楼官员Austin Dahmer回应称，美国正在"全力推进"这一项目，但强调"这是基于条件的协议，不是基于时间的协议"[1]。前澳大利亚国防部长Christopher Pyne也表示，他不认为美国潜艇会按时按预算交付[1]。
Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has warned that there is a substantial risk Australia will receive no submarines under the AUKUS defense agreement, citing the United States' inability to double Virginia-class submarine production by 2029 to meet both its own and Australia's requirements.[1] In a submission to an independent inquiry, Turnbull cautioned that Australia faces the prospect of a complete gap in submarine capability, which he characterized as the most catastrophic failure in modern Australian defense planning.[1]
The production bottleneck poses a critical challenge to the trilateral security pact. Australia has already deployed up to 130 workers to help address capacity constraints in U.S. submarine manufacturing.[1] However, Pentagon official Austin Dahmer has stated that efforts are proceeding at full pace, emphasizing that "this is a conditions-based agreement, not a timeline-based agreement."[1] Former Defense Minister Christopher Pyne has expressed skepticism about timely and budget-compliant delivery of American submarines.[1]