The current geopolitical challenges do not only concern NATO and Europe with its conflicts but now extend to the whole world.
One of the recently created “defense” alliances is called AUKUS and is an enhanced trilateral security partnership focused on the Pacific.
Announced in September 2021, AUKUS, as the letters in the name indicate, is an alliance between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (of America). AUKUS was created with the aim of strengthening each government's ability to support security and defense interests, building on long-existing bilateral ties. It is based on three pillars:
- Nuclear-powered submarines: Includes support for Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy. This includes the transfer of technology and know-how needed to build and operate these submarines. The aim is to provide Australia with an advanced capability to operate in the Pacific and ensure maritime security.
- Shared capabilities and interoperability: aims to improve joint capabilities and interoperability between the militaries of the three countries and includes the development and sharing of capabilities in critical areas such as cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and submarine capabilities.
- Defense and Security Integration: consists of the deeper integration of defense-related science and technology, industrial bases and supply chains of the three countries. This involves the sharing of information and technologies, as well as cooperation in developing new capabilities to address common threats.
On 13 March 2023, AUKUS partners announced an optimal path to produce a nuclear-powered submarine capability in Australia in the shortest time possible, while ensuring that all three partners maintain the highest non-proliferation standards.
It should be remembered that Australia had previously signed a collaboration contract with France for the construction of conventional submarines, a $65 billion contract with the French Naval Group, a contract canceled in September 2021 by Prime Minister Scott Morrison. At the time there was controversy over the cost of the project and the political and diplomatic disputes it caused between France, the United States and Australia.
Now, we see that AUKUS as a first pillar is precisely aimed at helping Australia achieve its strategic goal of renewing its submarine fleet from conventional to nuclear. The cost of the project is very different from what it would have had with France, ranging between 180 and 259 billion dollars (or between 268 and 368 billion Australian dollars) and should be completed in 2040. This time too there is a lot of criticism towards the project, both for the very high costs and for the lack of guarantees on the transfer of the knowledge base on the technologies to Australia.
Recently AUKUS seems to be looking for reliable partners and among the possible countries there are Japan and South Korea, with which cognitive talks are taking place. In particular, Japan seems to have been invited to participate in the second pillar of the alliance where it could provide its contribution thanks to its undoubted technological capabilities with particular regard to the area advanced robotics, cyber e anti-submarine warfare.
Naturally, as always happens, even with AUKUS there are those who would like to be part of it but have not been invited. This is the case of New Zealand, a state belonging to the group Five Eyes (US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) which is increasingly looking at the development of AUKUS as a military alliance aimed at countering the growing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific.
We are waiting to know the results of the negotiations for the expansion of the AUKUS alliance and the geopolitical implications that will undoubtedly exist.
To learn more:
- https://www.defense.gov/Spotlights/AUKUS/
- https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/south-koreas-technological-prowess-cou...
- https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/04/17/japan/politics/japan-aukus-...
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/aukus
- https://maritime-executive.com/article/two-years-after-aukus-australia-a...
- https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/may/14/australia...
- https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/how-will-australia-pay-for-the-aukus-s...
- https://www.iiss.org/online-analysis/military-balance/2024/05/the-aukus-...
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/what-is-five-eyes/
- https://eastasiaforum.org/2024/06/07/new-zealand-eyes-joining-aukus-desp...
- https://www.voanews.com/a/us-official-talks-aukus-expansion-ahead-of-sum...
- https://www.voanews.com/a/us-official-talks-aukus-expansion-ahead-of-sum...
