Australia, US and UK enter into high-tech agreement to counter China.
From underwater drones to electronic warfare, the US is expanding its high-end military cooperation with Australia and the UK as part of a broader effort to counter China's rapidly growing influence in the Indo-Pacific.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with defense chiefs from Australia and the United Kingdom at the US military's Defense Technology Center in Silicon Valley on Friday to hammer out a new agreement to increase technology cooperation and information sharing. The goal, according to the joint statement, is to be better able to address global security challenges, ensure that everyone can defend against rapidly evolving threats, and "contribute to stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond."
Austin met with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps at the headquarters of the Defense Innovation Unit.
At a news conference after the meeting, Austin said the effort, for example, would rapidly accelerate the sophistication of drone systems and demonstrate that "we are stronger together."
The new technology deal is another step in expanding military cooperation with Australia, first announced in 2021. The three nations have drawn up plans for a so-called AUKUS partnership to help equip Australia with a fleet of eight nuclear-powered submarines. AUKUS is an abbreviation for Australia, United Kingdom and United States of America.
Under the deal, Australia will buy three Virginia-class submarines from the United States and build five new AUKUS-class submarines in cooperation with Britain. Powered by US nuclear technology, the submarines will not carry nuclear weapons and will be built in Adelaide, Australia, with the first completed around 2040.
Marles said there has been tremendous progress in the submarine program. He added that Australia, as an island nation, needed improved naval drones and precision strike capabilities.
And Shapps said that with China "undermining freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific, we have never had a greater need for more innovation". He said open navigation in the seas, including the Pacific and South China Seas, is critical.
According to officials, Australian naval officers have already begun undergoing nuclear power training at US military schools.
Earlier this year, the US also announced it would expand its military industrial base by helping Australia produce cruise missiles and missiles for both countries within two years. Under this agreement, they will cooperate on the Australian production of guided multiple launch missile systems until 2025.
Increased cooperation between the nations has been driven by growing concerns over China's rising defense spending and rapidly expanding military presence in the region. Last year, Beijing signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands, raising the prospect of a Chinese naval base.
The US has increased the presence of US troops, military exercises and other activities in the region. US relations with China have been strained in recent years over trade, US support for self-ruled Taiwan, Beijing's military build-up on a series of man-made islands and a series of aggressive aircraft and ship clashes.
Demonstrations of cutting-edge technology were set up in DIU's large parking lot and headquarters, allowing Austin to see a number of projects in the works minutes before the meeting began, including a virtual training facility that will help Ukrainian pilots learn to fly F-16 fighter jets and swarm drones being developed for military fighters. The projects are not linked to the Australian deal, but reflect ongoing efforts by the three nations to improve technology - an area where China often plays a leading role.
As Austin walked through the exhibits, he could watch a swarm of five drones rise from the sidewalk and hover over onlookers — all controlled by a single worker with a small handheld module. Short-range reconnaissance drones — called the Skydio X2D — are already being used in combat, but the technology and ability to control them all from a single device is still in development, Skydio CEO Adam Bry said.
Inside the DIU offices, Air Force Maj. Alex Horn demonstrated a new portable pilot training module that will allow instructors in the United States to remotely train trainees overseas using a virtual reality headset. Four of the so-called "Immersive Training Devices" will be delivered to Morris Air National Guard Base in Arizona next month and will be used to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16.
Horn said the devices, which are cheaper than other systems, will help speed up the training of Ukrainian pilots who are used to flying Soviet aircraft and need to learn the basics of the F-16 before moving on to cockpit training.
0 Comments