AUKUS reaffirms pathway for Australia to acquire nuclear submarines
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The US, the UK, and Australia hold the inaugural meetings of the AUKUS Trilateral Joint Steering Groups.
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US President's virtual meeting with Australian PM Scott Morrison and UK PM Boris Johnson, September 15, 2021 (Reuters)
In a meeting bringing together the members of the AUKUS alliance, Australia, the UK, and the United States agreed on the next steps to define the optimal pathway for Australia to acquire the US' nuclear-powered submarines.
The three countries held the inaugural meetings of the AUKUS Trilateral Joint Steering Groups, which were established as part of the governance structure of AUKUS in September 2021.
"Beyond the four initial areas of focus outlined in the Joint Leaders' Statement on AUKUS--cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and additional undersea capabilities [referring to nuclear submarines]--participants also discussed other additional capabilities and agreed to identify potential opportunities for collaboration in those areas," according to the White House statement.
The AUKUS alliance was formed on September 15, as the US, the UK, and Australia announced that the latter will purchase nuclear-powered submarines from the US and receive the know-how from both the US and the UK on AI, cyber, and quantum technologies, in addition to underwater and long-range missile capabilities.
The alliance, however, involved Australia canceling a submarine deal it had concluded with France, a move that Paris dubbed a "stab in the back" and led to a severe diplomatic row between the Western countries.
