SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia and Britain have announced their intention to establish a bilateral treaty to develop a new class of nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS partnership, which also includes the United States.
Australia is set to purchase U.S. Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines over the next decade. Following this acquisition, Britain and Australia will collaboratively construct a new class of AUKUS submarines in Barrow-in-Furness, Britain, and South Australia, as per the AUKUS pact revealed in 2023.
"We will be negotiating a treaty, a bilateral treaty, between Australia and the UK to enable our portion of AUKUS," stated Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles after a meeting with his British and U.S. counterparts in London on Thursday. He further elaborated that both countries will be operating the same class of submarine, emphasizing the cooperation in industrial processes, technology transfer, and various operational mechanisms covered by this treaty.
British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked that during the meeting of AUKUS defence ministers, it was also decided that British-made Stingray torpedoes would be utilized in P-8A Maritime Patrol Aircraft, which serve as submarine-hunting aircraft in the Indo-Pacific region.
U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin mentioned that the AUKUS partners have conducted substantial experiments across land, sea, and electromagnetic spectrums to enhance warfighting capabilities under the AUKUS "Pillar Two" cooperation.
A joint statement from the AUKUS partners highlighted their commitment to advancing and deploying both offensive and defensive hypersonic technologies. Additionally, a large-scale drone exercise is scheduled to take place later this year.