SYDNEY, Australia: Australia and Britain have announced plans to negotiate a bilateral treaty to produce a new class of nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS partnership, which also includes the United States.
Australia will first acquire U.S. Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines, while Britain and Australia will later build the AUKUS submarines at shipyards in the UK and South Australia.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles emphasized the treaty’s focus on industrial cooperation, technology transfer, and operational mechanisms for the submarine development.
British Defence Secretary John Healey added that the AUKUS defence ministers also agreed to use British-made Stingray torpedoes in P-8A Maritime Patrol Aircraft for submarine-hunting in the Indo-Pacific.
U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin highlighted that the AUKUS partners had conducted significant experiments across various domains, including ground, undersea, and electromagnetic spectrum, to enhance their warfighting capabilities.
A joint statement revealed that the AUKUS partners are working on developing offensive and defensive hypersonic technologies and will conduct a large-scale drone exercise later in 2024.