September 15, 2021 seems a long time ago in AUKUS land. That’s when Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison stood with US President Joe Biden and British leader Boris Johnson to announce this new defence technology partnership that is all about deterring China from beginning a war – over Taiwan or elsewhere in our contested region.

Since that day, we’ve seen many tri-national working groups of officials formed and meeting furiously. A new Australian Submarine Agency has been brought into being whose staffing is expanding day to day (over 300 last time I looked). A different set of the three nations’ leaders – still Biden but joined now by Rishi Sunak and Anthony Albanese – met in San Diego in March to tell us the “optimal pathway” for Australia to get eight nuclear submarines.