A UK House of Commons defence committee inquiry has found significant "shortcomings and failings" in Britain's delivery of the Aukus agreement, warning that underfunding and lack of political leadership could derail the landmark trilateral submarine pact. The report highlighted that Britain's submarine fleet is at critically low availability — HMS Anson was the UK's only attack submarine at sea when it briefly visited Australia in February before being urgently recalled to the Middle East — and that the sole submarine-construction shipyard at Barrow-in-Furness (a facility in northwest England) is already falling behind upgrade schedules. The findings matter for Australia in particular, as the country is depending on the UK to co-design and build the new SSN-Aukus class of nuclear-powered submarines, a programme forecast to cost Australia up to A$368bn, and any British delays could leave it without a long-term sovereign submarine capability.