WASHINGTON U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday said on Monday the United States did not underestimate the difficulties that lie ahead in realizing the three-nation AUKUS project to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.

Speaking at the same think-tank event, U.S. Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell said there was every indication that AUKUS would be sustained politically in the United States and Australia, and said Washington was talking to a variety of countries about taking part in the second pillar of the project.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom, Eric Beech, Michael Martina; Editing by Leslie Adler)