Artist’s illustration of a hypersonic missile tracking satellite constellation. (Graphic by L3Harris)
Updated 4/12/2022 at 9:27 am ET with new comment from an Australian defense spokesperson.
SYDNEY: Australia, Britain and the US will jointly develop hypersonic weapons and capabilities to protect against them, as well as undersea drones, advanced cyber capabilities and other technologies, according to newly revealed details of the AUKUS defense agreement.
“The AUKUS partners will work together to accelerate development of advanced hypersonic and counter-hypersonic capabilities,” a joint statement from Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the UK, and US President Joe Biden, released Tuesday, says.
The statement pointedly highlights the hypersonic work, but it is not the only new work agreed to by the partners. In addition to vague promises of electronic warfare capabilities, other developments include the following, quoted from a fact sheet:
- Undersea capabilities. Through the AUKUS Undersea Robotics Autonomous Systems (AURAS) project, our nations are collaborating on autonomous underwater vehicles, which will be a significant force multiplier for our maritime forces. Initial trials and experimentation of this capability are planned for 2023.
- Quantum technologies. The AUKUS Quantum Arrangement (AQuA) will accelerate investments to deliver generation-after-next quantum capabilities. It will have an initial focus on quantum technologies for positioning, navigation, and timing. Together, we will integrate emerging quantum technologies in trials and experimentation over the next three years.
- Artificial intelligence and autonomy. Trilateral cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomy will provide critical enablers for future force capabilities, improving the speed and precision of decision-making processes to maintain a capability edge and defend against AI-enabled threats. Early work is focused on accelerating adoption, and improving the resilience of, autonomous and AI-enabled systems in contested environments.
- Advanced Cyber. In light of the importance of the cyber domain to advanced capabilities, we are focusing our efforts on strengthening cyber capabilities, including protecting critical communications and operations systems.
Meanwhile, the three nations are plowing ahead on with the crown jewel of the AUKUS agreement: new nuclear attack submarines for Australia. The trio appears to be in beginning the crucial and difficult work of creating a nuclear sub cadre for Australia.
“Initial steps are underway,” the statement says, “to ensure Australia has a workforce with the necessary skills, training, and qualifications to build, operate, and sustain a conventionally-armed nuclear-powered submarine capability. For example, a cohort of Australian personnel have commenced higher-education and training opportunities in nuclear science and engineering.”
One intriguing fact is that the Guam-based submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) has visited Brisbane and has been in Sydney for more than a week. She was designed to tend the nuclear-powered Los Angeles-class attack submarines, and handles a wide range of weapons, provisioning, repairs and naval support throughout the Pacific. Her presence may be part of this effort to build the Australian nuclear cadre.
A week after publication, an Australian Defense Department spokesman responded to questions from Breaking Defense about the visit, saying “The USS Frank Cable was in Brisbane and Sydney for a routine logistics visit. The routine visit was not part of the training of the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Australian workforce that was mentioned in the AUKUS Joint Leaders Statement.”
Be that as it may, Breaking Defense has learned that members of the Nuclear Powered Submarine Taskforce did, in fact, tour the nuclear tender. 50 US sailors from the ship also helped the Australian military cope with cleanup from the torrential rains and subsequent flooding in the Brisbane area.
The AUKUS statement also says that. “combined teams from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States visited multiple sites in Australia to baseline its nuclear stewardship, infrastructure, workforce, and industrial capabilities and requirements. On February 28, findings were considered by the Joint Steering Group on submarines. The [AUKUS] Joint Steering Group will use this information as it develops the optimal pathway for Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines.”
One of the revealing tidbits in the accompanying fact sheet to the statement is an enumeration of high level meetings between the three countries:
- Senior Officials Group. On March 10, 2022, National Security Advisors from the three allies met virtually to review AUKUS progress and provide direction to the trilateral partnership going forward.
- Joint Steering Groups. The three countries have held multiple Joint Steering Group meetings for each of the two AUKUS lines of effort, including in-person sessions in Canberra, London, and Washington, D.C.
- Working Groups. Seventeen trilateral working groups have been established (nine relating to conventionally-armed nuclear-powered submarines, and eight relating to other advanced military capabilities); each has met multiple times.
The leaders say they “will expand and accelerate sharing of sensitive information,” which sounds encouraging. But skepticism is in order: Australia, which was legally made a part of the US industrial base years ago, has so far seen little benefit from that agreement.
In the long run, one of the most important mentions in the statement may end up being this: “As we mature trilateral lines of effort within these and other critical defense and security capabilities, we will seek to engage allies and close partners as appropriate.”
That seems to mean that NATO, other US treaty allies and other close partners might be the beneficiaries of this highly classified AUKUS work. Obviously, each system will be subject to the usual decision-making process about who gets what.
