Australia’s next Defence Chief has told AUKUS critics to “stop politicising” the massive nuclear submarine project, declaring that the evidence so far shows the complex endeavour will succeed.

On the opening day of military conference in Perth, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond has also claimed China stirred “anger” in New Zealand when it deployed a naval flotilla into the Tasman Sea last year, which also helped to boost support for more defence spending.

“I think we should stop politicising ambitious, challenging programs with the partners being completely transparent about the risks and the challenges,” Vice-Admiral Hammond said of AUKUS at the Indian Ocean Defence and Security Conference (IODS).

“This is not a simple program, but let’s put it into context, the first submarines we operated acquired just prior to World War One were the longest range, most capable submarines on the planet”.

“The evidence is we are succeeding, and we will succeed. By the end of this year, I’ll be surprised if there a fast attack US nuclear submarine in the Pacific that doesn’t have Australians on board”.

“So, when I look at the next challenge, which is to operate the submarine capability with a different propulsion system, I know where people are up to it.”

Under the AUKUS program Australia is scheduled to receive at least three Virginia-class boats from the US next decade, before a new fleet of submarines being developed with the UK called SSN-AUKUS is expected to enter service in the 2040s.

Questioned on the unpredictable political situation in Washington, the Chief of Navy acknowledged that each AUKUS partner nation had to continually assess and recommit to the expensive project.

“I acknowledge there is political risk with this program. There will be for all three governments. It’s not just constrained to the US. After every electoral cycle, the Australian government will have to recommit to this program”.

“The evidence base so far is that every time one of the three party governments have conducted a review, they’ve concluded it remains in their best national interest, and they double down on it.”

In the first phase of AUKUS, US and UK nuclear-powered boats are scheduled to begin rotations out of Western Australia’s HMAS Stirling naval base from 2027, but Washington will not sell its submarines to Australia unless it can increase production.

Already Australia has transferred $3 billion to the US to help its shipyards to more than double their nuclear-powered submarine production rate from the current level of just over one new boat a year, to 2.3 per year early next decade.

Asked whether the Australian Defence Force needed to consider a “Plan B” for AUKUS, the Navy Chief insisted evidence in the US showed that domestic submarine production rates were improving so that Virginia-class submarines could be delivered next decade.

“They have shown me the evidence base that, where they are at in terms of production of Virginia (attack class submarines) and production of Columbia (ballistic missile submarines)”.

“The latest Senate testimony by the accountable officers in the US system is that they are seeing progress, the CNO (Chief of Naval Operations) believes that they will achieve the 2.0 production on the Virginia program by 2030, not 2.33 which is an ideal number”.

“The graphs that they’re showing me is compelling in terms of have they turned up the corner. Are they turning the corner? There is evidence there to suggest — yes.”

In his public appearance just weeks before he transitions from Chief of Navy to Chief of Defence, Vice-Admiral Hammond also reflected on last year’s deployment of Chinese warships around Australia.

“It occurred in the middle of a federal election in this country, and it occurred in the midst of a defence strategic review across the Tasman,” the Chief said.

“The timing triggered a level of anxiety here in the populace and, to quote a colleague from New Zealand, a level of anger across the ditch. (It) ultimately resulted in the doubling of their defence budget.”

During the opening day of the IODS conference, Ukraine’s ambassador also issued a blunt warning to delegates that Russia’s attempted invasion of Australia had highlighted potential risks for Australia.

“If Ukraine can achieve asymmetric effects against a much larger adversary, a nuclear weapons super-power, then an imaginative adversary can potentially do the same thing to Australia,” Ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko said.

“That is the uncomfortable but necessary conclusion. Are you ready for this future?”

“Are your ports and military airfields protected? Are your energy systems resilient? Are your international supply chains and trade routes secure? Are your bases hardened? Are your cargo and combat ships prepared for autonomous maritime attacks? Are your logistics systems survivable in a contested environment?”

While military leaders gather in Perth, Australia’s former ambassador to Washington, Joe Hockey, has told the National Press Club he is a “little nervous” about America’s ability to deliver Virginia-class submarines under the AUKUS deal.

“I think the Americans have their own production challenges . . . we’ve got crew on the Virginias. There’s no problem in the military to military, or bureaucracy to bureaucracy level. It’s a question of whether they can actually build the Virginias fast enough.”

The former Liberal Treasurer said Australia needed to put on a “full court press” in Washington to drum up “buy-in” from Congress and to also prove this country has the capability to host the submarines and not give the US “any hook not to deliver”.

Asked about the risk that the United States might renege of the commitment to deliver Virginia-class submarines to Australia, Mr Hockey said it was a “manageable risk at this stage” but added that “everyday counts”.