An Air Force plane carrying Prime Minister Anthony Albanese home from the US has been forced to make an unscheduled landing after a midair incident.

The aircraft touched down in St Louis, Missouri, on Wednesday (Australian time) so a RAAF member could be treated after knocking their head.

Travelling media were told the plane would top up its fuel and then continue its journey to Australia.

A chuffed Albanese is on his way home buoyed by his successful White House meeting with US President Donald Trump, which ended with a multibillion-dollar minerals deal and reassurances on AUKUS.

The PM has revealed more details of his talks with Trump, while backing Australia’s US Ambassador Kevin Rudd after his unscripted exchange across the table at the White House stole the limelight.

“He’s a friend of Australia,” Albanese said of Trump during an interview on Nine’s Today show on Wednesday.

“It was a terrific meeting; it couldn’t have gone better.”

During the post-meeting press conference on Tuesday, Trump was asked about Rudd once calling him a “traitor to the West”.

When Albanese pointed out that Rudd was sitting across the table, Trump said, “I don’t like you either and I probably never will”, prompting laughter from the Australian delegation.

Later, Rudd reportedly apologised to Trump, who said “all is forgiven”.

“It was pretty light-hearted,” Albanese told Nine, “and President Trump said, you know, all is forgiven – he volunteered that”.

Following the conversation, the Coalition has called for Rudd to be removed as ambassador for the sake of the US-Australia alliance.

Deputy Opposition Leader Ted O’Brien told Sky News that “alarm bells” were ringing because Trump wasn’t aware that Rudd was the Australian ambassador.

But Albanese said the “Australia-US relationship is in great shape”.

“I got a very warm invitation from him, and things are good and that is in Australia’s national interest,” he told Seven’s Today show.

He also revealed he gifted US first lady Melania Trump some jewellery and Trump a small model of a submarine – a subtle reference to Australia’s keen interest in acquiring nuclear submarines under the AUKUS trilateral security pact.

The meeting could lay the groundwork for Trump to do more to accelerate Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines, the first of which it plans to buy from the US early next decade.

Trump gave his strongest commitment to date to the $368 billion project, ending months of uncertainty over whether he supported the deal.

“Oh no, they’re getting them,” he said when asked if the submarines would be delivered to Australia.

“We’re just going full steam ahead building.”

Trump suggested the US might fast-track delivery of the vessels, but gave no timeline.

But experts question whether the timeline of the AUKUS deal is viable, given the US is struggling to meet its targets for submarine production.

Perth USAsia Centre chief executive Gordon Flake said the Trump administration needed to do more to shore up its defence industrial base, but was optimistic about Australia receiving its submarines on time.

AUKUS is an historic investment in Australian jobs, Australian manufacturing and a more secure region.

At Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. I met with leading members of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees.

Working together, we will get this done. pic.twitter.com/qKUR5bfMO6

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) October 21, 2025

As part of the White House meeting, Trump and Albanese signed a historic $13 billion agreement on rare earth and critical minerals processing, which is being seen as an attempt by the US to counter China’s hold on the market.

Albanese and Rudd also met members of Congress, including Democrat House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Albanese’s last Washington event was a meeting with top executives from BHP and business leaders to celebrate the mining giant’s 140th anniversary and advocate for Australia’s resources sector.

–AAP