NH congressional delegation opens defense roundtable on AUKUS submarine agreement

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. —A rare point of agreement between the Biden and Trump administrations could have a big business impact in New Hampshire, along with international defense implications.

The full New Hampshire congressional delegation met Tuesday in Portsmouth to open a defense industry roundtable on the international agreement known as AUKUS.

"It's an unusual acronym, I think, in an industry with a lot of unusual acronyms, but it's a powerful entity with a critical mission," said U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-New Hampshire.

Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States make up AUKUS, a 2021 trilateral military pact between the longtime allies that involves America providing nuclear submarines and technology to Australia as a deterrent to China's aggressive moves in the Pacific.

"Our ability to compete with China, I talk about two things: one is our allies and partners, and the other is our submarine base, our nuclear submarines, which is one place we have an advantage over our Chinese competitors," said U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire.

The Navy League of the United States said the delegation's attention on the matter is crucial for the future of the Pacific region.

"It's huge having the full New Hampshire delegation here," said Kevin Galeaz, of the Navy League. "Right now, the PLA (Chinese) Navy is doing circles around Australia. They understand the criticality of our relationship with Australia."

Linking submarine fleets will mean more activity at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and more business for New Hampshire defense contractors in the years ahead.

"Our submarine industrial base is a modern arsenal of democracy," said U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-New Hampshire.

While President Donald Trump has been reversing or moving on from several Biden administration policies, the secretary of defense said in February that Trump approves of the submarine deal. The delegation is hopeful that support continues.

"This is going to make America safer," Goodlander said. "It's going to make America stronger, and it's going to make us more prosperous. It's a win-win for everyone."