From the Magazine: FLESHING OUT AUKUS – A UK PERSPECTIVE

Since the initial September 2021 bombshell announcement of the outline Australia/UK/USA agreement to work together on establishing a new joint nuclear submarine program, there has been much debate on the wisdom of this decision. This includes what form it might take, how such a strategic program might be achieved and how realistic the delivery timescales might be. March 14 2023, saw a major step forward towards the aspiration becoming an eventual reality with a Tri-nation Pact announced at Point Loma US Naval Base , San Diego, attended by US President Joe Biden, and Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese and Rushi Sunak representing Australia and the UK respectively. The backdrop to this latest development was the increasingly volatile global situation, a fact recognised in the UK’s latest Integrated Defence and Foreign Policy Review, which was also released the same day in London. Subtitled “Responding to a more contested and volatile world” the document confirmed the UK’s commitment to a foreign policy and security tilt towards the Asia-Pacific region, with the AUKUS initiative a key element with potentially the single highest profile in terms of strengthening Western security and demonstrating long-term resolve. The AUKUS proposal has now introduced into the public domain for the first time how the prospect of the Royal Australian Navy becoming a nuclear submarine operator can be delivered in three stages, and possibly slightly faster than some might have anticipated. To start, all three maritime nations have already initiated working very closely together sharing training and exchanging expertise, and this will soon ramp up much further so that as the programme grows in maturity advanced technology as well as maintenance and support capability will be shared between the partners. This is an excerpt from APDR. To read the full story, click here. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Director of Sales Graham Joss at [email protected]