UK and Australia to Sign Bilateral Agreement for New Nuclear Submarines

The UK and Australia have announced plans to sign a bilateral agreement to build new nuclear submarines within the framework of the Australia-UK-US Trilateral Security Enhanced Partnership (AUKUS).

AUKUS has agreed to use British Stingray torpedoes on its P-8A maritime patrol aircraft.

On June 26, in London, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles met with UK Defense Minister John Healy and US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles stated that Canberra will negotiate a bilateral agreement with London on industrial cooperation and technology transfer, allowing partial implementation of the contents of AUKUS between the two countries.

British Defense Minister Healey announced that officials attending the meeting agreed to use British-made Stingray torpedoes on the P-8A maritime patrol aircraft used to search for ships underground in the Indo-Pacific region.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin revealed that AUKUS partners conducted critical ground, undersea, and electromagnetic spectrum tests to enhance warfighting capabilities as part of AUKUS Pillar 2 cooperation activities.

In a joint statement after the meeting, the defense ministers of the three countries confirmed that they are strengthening their capabilities to develop and deliver hypersonic technology for attack and defense, and will organize large-scale exercises using drones by the end of 2024.

AUKUS, a trilateral defense agreement between Australia, the UK, and the US, includes support for Australia in purchasing nuclear submarines carrying conventional weapons and high-tech technology such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and hypersonic speed.