UK-Australia "go it alone", negotiate bilateral treaty to produce new nuclear-powered submarines

The UK and Australia have announced plans to sign a bilateral agreement to produce a new class of nuclear-powered submarines under the Australia-UK-US Trilateral Enhanced Security Partnership (AUKUS).

AUKUS agrees to use British-made Sting Ray torpedoes on P-8A maritime patrol aircraft. (Source: Baesystems)

On September 26, in London, UK, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles met with his counterparts John Healey (UK) and Lloyd Austin (US).

Reuters news agency quoted Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles' statement to the press after the meeting saying that Canberra will negotiate a bilateral agreement with London on industrial cooperation and technology transfer, allowing for the partial implementation of AUKUS between the two countries.

For his part, British Defense Secretary Healey said that officials attending the meeting agreed to use British-made Sting Ray torpedoes on P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, used to hunt submarines in the Indo- Pacific region.

According to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, AUKUS partners have conducted critical ground, undersea, and electromagnetic spectrum testing to enhance combat capabilities as part of AUKUS's second pillar of cooperation.

A joint statement after the meeting affirmed that the three countries' defense ministers are enhancing their capabilities to develop and deliver hypersonic technology for attack and defense, and will hold a large-scale exercise using drones by the end of 2024.

AUKUS, a trilateral defence agreement between Australia, the UK and the US, has two pillars: supporting Australia in acquiring conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines and cooperation in high-tech areas, including quantum computing, artificial intelligence (AI) and hypersonics.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/aukus-anh-australia-danh-le-dam-phan-hiep-uoc-song-phuong-san-xuat-tau-ngam-nang-luong-hat-nhan-moi-287902.html