(Richard Wainwright/AAP PHOTOS) Credit: AAPDepartment and agency leaders will be grilled over an AUKUS side pact following speculation the US will not sink the multibillion-dollar security and submarines deal. The 50-year agreement, signed by Australia and the UK in late July, aims to strengthen bilateral co-operation as part of pillar one of the AUKUS pact. The bilateral treaty should not proceed until after a full, independent and transparent review of the AUKUS submarine plan, it said. Building and maintenance contractor Serco, on the other hand, backed the AUKUS pact and signing of the treaty. The Pentagon has been investigating the AUKUS pact to ensure it aligns with President Donald Trump's "America first" agenda.