A landmark security partnership entered a new phase today as the
Defence Ministers of the UK, Australia and United States met to
advance new programmes on threat detection, quantum technology
and autonomous systems.
Strengthening security in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, the
Ministers revealed new combined future exercises will improve
each nations’ ability to work together, enhance capability
development, and test the joint operation of uncrewed platforms,
radically improving a shared ability to tackle emerging threats.
Speaking at the Defense Innovation Unit Headquarters in
California, UK Defence Secretary , Australian Deputy Prime
Minister Richard Marles and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin
emphasised the opportunity to meet global security challenges
through closer relationships between our Armed Forces.
The Ministers highlighted that all three nations are progressing
towards more seamless defence and industrial collaboration,
better information and technology sharing, and greater
resilience, helping develop joint capabilities to meet threats
and deter aggression.
UK Defence Secretary, said:
Today AUKUS enters a new phase. Together with our partners in the
US and Australia we have strengthened our alliance to bring our
Armed forces closer than ever and ensure our nations are
protected from new and advanced threats.
As the world becomes more dangerous, AUKUS only becomes more
important in ensuring the UK and our allies maintain a strategic
advantage. That’s why we’ve today driven forward joint programmes
on threat detection, quantum technology and autonomous systems.
This progress will radically improve our shared ability to tackle
emerging threats and demonstrates our commitment to making our
militaries more lethal, more connected and more prepared.
Beyond our collaboration on the future Class of
conventionally-armed nuclear powered submarines, the second
pillar of AUKUS will see unprecedented collaboration in advanced
capabilities and technologies, with many key progress updates
shared publicly today, including:
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Strengthening cyber capabilities across the three AUKUS
partners, including protecting critical communications and
operations systems.
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Improving anti-submarine warfare capabilities by being able
to jointly process data from each nations’ sonobuoys – used
to detect and identify objects in the water – and sharing it
with multiple undersea systems and P-8A Maritime Patrol
Aircraft.
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Integrating the ability to launch and recover undersea
vehicles from torpedo tubes on current submarines to deliver
strike, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance
systems.
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Developing quantum technologies to support global positioning
and enhance stealth in undersea capabilities, including
future SSN-AUKUS submarines.
During the meeting, Ministers also highlighted the exceptional
progress made on Pillar 1 of AUKUS which will result in Australia
acquiring a conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarine
capability, SSN-AUKUS, which will also be used by the UK. This
includes increased training opportunities for Australian sailors
in the UK and US, and more planned visits of US and UK
nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. AUKUS partners
reaffirmed their shared commitment to upholding the highest
standard for nuclear non-proliferation.
