The Pentagon will weigh whether the trilateral security pact meets US President Donald Trump's "America First" objective, raising concerns Australia might not get the promised boats.
Under the $368 billion submarine program, Australia is set to acquire at least three nuclear-powered Virginia-class boats from the US in the early 2030s before a new fleet is built for delivery from the 2040s.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who will leave Australia on Friday, is yet to secure a meeting with Mr Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada.
In response to the review, Defence Minister Richard Marles pointed to a recent UK assessment of AUKUS, an alliance of Australia, the UK and the US, which confirmed its support.
But defence analyst Marcus Hellyer said the US probe wouldn't be a "box-ticking exercise" like the UK's had been.
He said this was down to a combination of issues, including the deal being struck under the previous administration, the US already having a submarine shortage and defence spending levels among Washington's Indo-Pacific allies.
"He'll (Trump) be looking to get a better deal," Dr Hellyer told AAP.
"There is real scope here for something different to come out of it ... there may be an expectation of a real commitment from Australia to increase defence spending and to put more money into the US industrial base."
Australia paid almost $800 million to the US in February - the first of a number of payments - to help boost its submarine production.
Mr Albanese recently rebuffed calls from the US for Australia to lift its defence spending to 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product. Australia's defence spending is on track to hit around 2.3 per cent of GDP by 2033/34.
Dr Hellyer said pumping more money into the US submarine industrial base wouldn't help with the shortage in the short term.
"Putting more money in may help in the longer term, but it is not going to have an instantaneous impact in terms of creating more submarines," he said.
Labor views the delivery of nuclear-powered submarines as crucial to the security pact, and will not be willing to allow the rotation of US submarines through Australia without the acquisition of the boats.
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