IRIA News

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin hosted Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and United Kingdom Defense Secretary Grant Shapps at Defense Innovation Unit Headquarters in California, to discuss the AUKUS enhanced defense and security partnership.

Defense chiefs of AUKUS states unveiled joint projects focusing on threat detection, quantum technology, and autonomous systems programs.

The latest meeting between the three defense chiefs was called to discuss the second “pillar” of the AUKUS agreement which focuses on employing modern technologies such as artificial intelligence, drones, and deep space radar to counter China’s naval activities in the Indo-Pacific region.

According to a statement released by the U.S. Department of Defense, “Advanced Capabilities (Pillar II), AUKUS partners are substantially deepening cooperation on a range of security and defense capabilities, making sure that each nation has the capabilities needed to defend against rapidly evolving threats. Through these efforts, AUKUS contributes to integrated deterrence by pursuing layered and asymmetric capabilities that promote increased security and stability.”

The Ministers emphasized the ongoing advancement of seamless defense and industrial collaboration, enhanced information and technology sharing, and increased resilience among the three nations. These efforts aim to foster joint capabilities for addressing threats and deterring aggression effectively.

Keeping an eye on China

The move comes only days after a Pentagon report warned of a growing threat by China’s expanding submarine fleet. The defense chiefs of the U.S., UK, and Australia stated that crews operating the U.S. Navy’s top maritime surveillance and attack aircraft, the P-8 Poseidon, on Pacific operations will leverage artificial intelligence algorithms to swiftly interpret sonar data collected by underwater devices from all three countries.

Last month, Australia accused China’s naval forces of using sonar pulses against its naval divers. Australian Defense Ministry reported that sonar pulse by Chinese destroyer Ningbo resulted in Australian divers suffering injuries.

The incident has become a catalyst for the AUKUS allies to focus on enhancing and testing artificial intelligence technology to track Chinese submarines.

During the latest meeting, a plan was devised to focus on the following areas:

• Enhancing cyber capabilities collectively across the AUKUS partners to safeguard critical communication and operational systems.
• Advancing anti-submarine warfare capabilities and processing of data from each nation’s sonobuoys and utilizing it for detecting and identifying objects in the water.
• The integration of launching and recovering undersea vehicles from torpedo tubes on existing submarines is underway to deploy systems for strike, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
• Efforts are also directed toward developing quantum technologies that support global positioning and enhance stealth capabilities in undersea operations, with a focus on future SSN-AUKUS submarines.

Pillars of AUKUS pact

The AUKUS partnership, comprising Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, is structured around two key pillars aimed at bolstering defense capabilities and fostering technological collaboration.

Apart from their collaboration on the next generation of conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines, the second aspect of AUKUS involves unparalleled cooperation in advanced capabilities and technologies.

Next-Generation Submarines: The first pillar of AUKUS centers around the development and deployment of a new class of conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines. This initiative aims to enhance the naval capabilities of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Advanced Capabilities and Technologies: The second pillar focuses on broader defense collaboration, including the sharing and development of advanced capabilities and technologies. This encompasses various aspects such as strengthening cyber capabilities, improving anti-submarine warfare capabilities, integrating undersea vehicle launch and recovery systems, and advancing quantum technologies for global positioning and stealth in undersea operations.