AUKUS Launches Underwater Drone Weapons Program
The first AUKUS Pillar Two project will field multi-mission drones with sensors and weapons, with the UK pledging £150 million.
- On Saturday at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, U.K. Defence Secretary John Healey, and Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles unveiled the first "signature" AUKUS Pillar Two project to develop undersea drone technology.
- Pillar Two focuses on cooperation regarding cutting-edge military technology, such as undersea robotics and artificial intelligence, to counter China's growing Indo-Pacific presence. This initiative arrives after critics warned the pact had "talked too much and delivered too little."
- Backed by $201 million in U.K. funding, new sensors and weapons systems aim to "detect, deter and deal with threats" to underwater cables and pipelines, which British officials say face increasing risks from Russian vessels.
- Ministers confirmed the U.S. and U.K. remain on track to rotate nuclear-powered submarines through Australia by 2027 as part of the Submarine Rotational Force-West. This commitment aims to provide continuous presence at Perth's HMAS Stirling naval base.
- The project expects to deliver its first equipment next year, aiming to maintain a "collective advantage" in the maritime domain. All three nations intend to transition toward a hybrid model featuring greater use of uncrewed underwater vehicles.
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AUKUS undersea drones development boosts regional security: Australia deputy PM
Growing threats to critical underwater infrastructure, such as telecommunications cables and energy pipelines, underscore the need for stronger maritime defence capabilities, Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told CNA's Tan Qiuyi on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue.
The United States, Britain and Australia will create underwater drones as part of a defense partnershipThe United States, Britain and Australia will create underwater drones to protect cables and pipelines. The project will strengthen the military capabilities of the Allies at sea.
Aukus to develop unmanned undersea vehicles
From left: Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, British Defence Secretary John Healey, and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in Singapore this weekend. Photo: Reuters The United States, Britain and Australia are working together to develop unmanned undersea vehicles as part of their trilateral Aukus defence pact, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says.
What threats will the surface and underwater drones of AUKUS allies protect against? The United States, Britain, and Australia are launching a program to develop cutting-edge underwater drones to deter China and Russia. AUKUS expects this decision to fundamentally alter the balance of power in the world's oceans, according to RBC-Ukraine, citing Newsweek. Read also: It's not about the price: Pentagon chief identifies the main lesson of the war i…
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