There are worries in Australia that a nuclear submarine deal with the US could be at risk from Washington's latest budget plan.

The US has decided to cut next year's planned submarine production from two to just one to save costs.
The move has sparked concerns about the impact on deliveries to Australia, but Canberra is playing them down.

Washington is scheduled to sell Australia three Virginia-class submarines in the early 2030s under the AUKUS security deal that includes Britain. They are expected to be Australia's first nuclear-powered submarines.

Despite the production cut, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government is committed to the pact. He said: "Our plans are very clear going forward. We have an agreement that was reached with the United States and the UK."

Australia's involvement in AUKUS is widely seen as a way to counter China's increased military presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

The deal is said to cost Australia up to 370 billion dollars over 30 years.