The new U.S.-U.K.-Australia military tech deal was announced on Friday, Dec. 1. This was confirmed by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin after meeting with the defense chiefs of the United Kingdom and Australia.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin answers questions during a press briefing after participating in a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on July 18, 2023, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.
They discussed the latest defense cooperation at the U.S. military's defense technology hub in Silicon Valley in San Francisco. But, can this new high-tech military deal counter China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific? Here are the latest details.
Can New US-UK-Australia Military Tech Deal Counter China?
According to VOA News' latest report, Lloyd Austin, U.K. Secretary of State for Defense Grant Shapps, and Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles forged the new agreement.
This deal is expected to enhance the information sharing and tech cooperation between the three nations. Based on their joint statement, the main goal of the new military tech deal is to better address global security challenges.
Aside from this, the defense cooperation will contribute to the Indo-Pacific region's stability and prosperity, as well as ensure that each nation can defend against evolving threats.
The U.S. defense secretary also said that the new military cooperation of the three countries will rapidly accelerate the sophistication of the drone systems to prove that they are stronger together.
The latest military tech cooperation is considered to be the next step in a widening defense partnership between the U.S. and the U.K. with Australia, which was first announced in 2021.
About US-UK-Australia Military Tech Deal
U.S. Ballistic Missile Submarine USS Kentucky is anchored in Busan Naval Base on July 19, 2023, in Busan, South Korea. U.S. and South Korea held the first Nuclear Consultative Group meeting in Seoul on Tuesday and announced an American nuclear submarine was making a port visit to Busan for the first time since 1981.
First Post reported that the new U.S.-U.K.-Australia deal includes purchasing three Virginia-class subs from the U.S. government. Five new AUKUS-class submarines will also be constructed as part of cooperation with the U.K.
These submarines, which will be powered by U.S. nuclear technology, will be manufactured and designed in Adelaide, Australia. But, officials clarified that the underwater vessels will not carry nuclear missiles and other similar weapons.
The first unit is expected to be completed around 2040. The Australian defense minister said that since Australia is an island country, it needs to have improved maritime drones, as well as precision strike capabilities.
The U.K. secretary of state for defense also said that there's a greater need for more military and maritime innovation as China's growing influence undermines navigation freedom in the Indo-Pacific.
With the new U.S.-U.K.-Australia defense tech deal, the three nations expect that the benefits and improvements that this cooperation will offer will counter China in the Indo-Pacific region.
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