AUKUS partners unveil plan to develop underwater drones by 2027

Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom unveiled plans to develop underwater drones as part of their AUKUS defense pact, marking a significant push for Pillar II technology development. The announcement was made by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Defence Minister Richard Marles, and UK Defence Secretary John Healy at the US embassy in Singapore during the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue. The project aims to deliver advanced underwater drones capable of protecting critical undersea cables, conducting surveillance, and striking enemy targets. Healy stated the technology would help 'detect, deter, and deal with threats,' including sabotage of underwater infrastructure vital to daily life. The UK has committed over $170 million to the initiative, though Australia and the US have not yet disclosed their financial contributions. Marles called the project 'hugely significant,' emphasizing that the three nations would accelerate development to deploy the technology by 2027. He warned that recent cuts to subsea cables in the Baltic Sea and near Taiwan could indicate adversarial testing of political resolve. The move follows criticism that AUKUS Pillar II had lacked progress compared to the nuclear submarine program (Pillar I). The ministers also reaffirmed plans to sell Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines to Australia in the 2030s, with the US agreeing to streamline the process for acquiring three operational submarines. This shift suggests Australia may purchase existing submarines rather than new builds, aligning with earlier discussions. The initiative signals a renewed commitment to counter hybrid threats, including illegal naval actions and sabotage, as highlighted by Justin Bassi of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. The AUKUS partners aim to demonstrate that such acts will no longer be tolerated, reinforcing their collective technological advantage in the Indo-Pacific region.