The trilateral security partnership among the U.S., United Kingdom, and Australia, known as AUKUS, provides an opportunity for these nations to enhance their military capabilities, deepen interoperability, and strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with his AUKUS counterparts in London to discuss the progress made towards providing Australia with a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine. The number of Australian sailors attending U.S. and U.K. nuclear reactor schools has increased, and a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine has visited an Australian port, signaling the first step towards Australia having a sovereign nuclear-powered submarine capability.
The United States is committed to supporting Australia’s efforts in recruiting and training a skilled workforce needed to build, maintain, sustain, and operate a nuclear-powered submarine. The AUKUS partnership has two main pillars – the first is to enable Australia to acquire a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability as quickly as possible, likely in the early 2030s. The second pillar focuses on accelerating emerging capabilities such as uncrewed maritime systems, artificial intelligence, autonomy, electronic warfare, quantum, cyber, and hypersonics.
Japan will be working on the maritime autonomy aspect of Pillar II, and conversations with Canada, South Korea, and New Zealand are ongoing to explore their contributions to this pillar. As part of Pillar II, export control restrictions will be reduced among AUKUS partners to facilitate secure trade, including the sale of U.S. Virginia-class submarines to Australia. Congress has amended the International Traffic in Arms Regulations to implement an export licensing exemption for Australia and the United Kingdom as part of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.
Overall, the AUKUS partnership aims to enhance military capabilities, interoperability, and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region. The commitment to providing Australia with a nuclear-powered submarine capability and accelerating emerging technologies will strengthen the security of the member nations and contribute to regional stability. The partnership also involves discussions with other countries on potential contributions to Pillar II and reducing export control restrictions to facilitate secure trade among AUKUS partners. The collaboration between the U.S., U.K., and Australia through AUKUS demonstrates a shared commitment to enhancing security and defense cooperation in the region.
