How Are US Partners and Allies in the Indo-Pacific Thinking About the Iran War? - Senator Tim Kaine

Why It Matters

The progress and perception of AUKUS will determine allied deterrence posture in the Indo‑Pacific and the feasibility of fielding nuclear‑powered submarines; resolving U.S. production bottlenecks and sustaining bipartisan commitment are essential to translating political promises into credible defense capabilities.

Summary

Senator Tim Kaine described a weeklong February visit to Australia focused on the AUKUS partnership, touring a new Greenfield shipyard in Adelaide and submarine facilities in Perth and Henderson and finding visible, significant Australian investment in infrastructure. He said Australians broadly support AUKUS but tend to frame it publicly as a jobs program rather than explicitly about deterrence, reflecting political sensitivity to China and limited domestic nuclear experience. Kaine reported persistent questions from Australian interlocutors about U.S. industrial capacity to deliver Virginia‑class submarines at pace and about continuity of U.S. political commitment. He believes U.S. and Australian officials are committed but that public education and industrial ramp‑up will be critical next steps.

Original Description

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) joins PPP to discuss his recent trip to Australia, how Indo-Pacific allies are thinking about the Iran war, and why he's reading Sebastian Mallaby's The Infinity Machine and Peter Weiss' The Aesthetics of Resistance Volume Two.

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