Even before the big announcement from the heads of state in March, 2023 has been filled with AUKUS news.
By Justin KatzQuasar Satellite Technologies is planning to open a US office in 2024, “most likely in Colorado,” with the other option being in the Washington, DC area, CEO Phil Ridley told Breaking Defense.
By Theresa Hitchens“France is a power in the Pacific, it’s a power in Europe and it’s a multilateral power, and this is a very important partnership to Australia,” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said.
By Colin ClarkAndrew Shearer, Australia’s Director-General of National Intelligence, also discussed how analysts will use AI, and the “lively debate” about whether Japan could join the Five Eyes.
By Tim Martin“China’s actions point to a ratcheting up of pressure in support of spurious claims over the Nine-Dash Line,” one analyst told Breaking Defense.
By Colin ClarkThe Australian government said a Chinese ship “was detected operating its hull-mounted sonar in a manner that posed a risk to the safety of the Australian divers who were forced to exit the water.”
By Colin ClarkA Navy official recently said the service had spent at least $200 million on a partnership with a non-profit company to help cultivate the submarine industrial base.
By Justin KatzThe proposed legislation “expands Australia’s backyard to include the US and the UK, but it raises the fence,” Chennupati Jagadish, Australian Academy of Science’s president, said.
By Colin Clark“There’s no more cost that gets added to the program outside that one design zone change, therefore when you consider that as a value for money, it avoids having to complete a brand-new design from ground up,” Craig Lockhart of BAE Systems Australia said.
By Colin ClarkBabcock Australasia’s Nick Hines said the companies envision an “AUKUS passport” to more easily track skills of the workforce for the subs, allowing the countries to trade workers and fill gaps quickly.
By Colin ClarkVice Adm. Bill Houston said the sales of in-service Virginia-class subs will be in 2032, 2035 and a newly produced sub in 2038.
By Justin KatzThe retired lieutenant general, Peter Leahy, said he doesn’t see “much of a future for defense industry here in Australia, so we’ve got to pick up our game. I don’t think we can be taken seriously in the halls of Washington.”
By Colin ClarkAfter a successful “ePrototype,” company is building a full-scale prototype of STRIX and “propulsion testing has taken place on a static rig at our Henderson shipyard in Western Australia,” BAE Systems Australia said.
By Colin Clark