October 18, 2022
AUKUS Has Big Technology Hurdles with Some Very Big Rewards
Implementing the nuclear submarine agreement is an opportunity for wider defence collaboration between the US, the UK, and Australia.
At just over a year since the AUKUS announcement, dramatic, leader-level diplomacy has now given way to more prosaic efforts at implementation.
On a recent visit to Australia, and after consultations on the pact in Washington, I have a new appreciation for the promise – and the potential barriers – to AUKUS’ execution. The agreement remains extraordinarily promising, but tangible results will make the measure of its success.
Amid the rise of Chinese power and the changing Indo-Pacific dynamic, allies like Australia and the US must work together even more closely than before.
Enthusiasm for AUKUS endures at senior levels on both sides of the Pacific, which stands to reason: its fulfillment would add real allied defence capability in the region where it matters most. As the military balance across the Indo-Pacific deteriorates in China’s direction, AUKUS can represent a step toward repairing it.
It’s worth recalling that the pact is fundamentally a defence technology sharing agreement. It is not primarily a new diplomatic platform and certainly does not represent some new tripartite alliance.
Rather, AUKUS is a mechanism that would permit collaboration on technologies – including but not limited to nuclear propulsion for submarines – that would otherwise be impossible. That, in turn, promises to supply each of the three members with new military capabilities they would lack in the absence of it.
Read the full article from AFR.
More from CNAS
-
A Night of NATO at the National Archives
Podcast
Just a few weeks ago, leaders from across the globe gathered in Washington, D.C. for the historic 75th NATO summit. Over the course of the three-day event, allies engaged in d...
By Jim Townsend & Andrea Kendall-Taylor
-
75 Years of NATO: Key Takeaways from the Washington Summit
Podcast
Last week, Washington, DC hosted the NATO summit – marking the historic 75th anniversary of the alliance. Despite the significant milestone, the mood was serious in DC with th...
By Jim Townsend & Kate Johnston
-
Air defence package for Ukraine could work alongside F-16s to halt Putin's attacks
Video
Jim Townsend joins Frontline on Times Radio to discuss how further U.S. air defense systems for Ukraine and Nato drills will be key to sending a message that Nato is committed...
By Jim Townsend
-
Sharper: NATO Summit
Commentary
The 75th NATO Summit was held in Washington DC, last week, and brought together leaders and governments to discuss pressing issues facing the world's oldest alliance. A bridge...
By Anna Pederson
