AUKUS partners unveil new space and AI weapons to deal with China’s military agression

AUKUS partners have revealed new weapons and training being developed to thwart any military threat from China. See what’s afoot.

The AUKUS partners have seized the “need for speed” to combat China’s military aggression, unveiling plans to launch autonomous undersea vehicles from submarine torpedo tubes, detect enemy submarines with artificial intelligence, and track deep space threats with advanced radars.

The long-awaited expansion of the pact was unveiled in California, with Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles saying the “huge leap forward” in developing advanced military technologies would have an “enormous deterrent effect immediately”.

Mr Marles acknowledged China’s hostility in the Indo-Pacific – including the recent sonar attack which injured Australian naval divers – underscored “the need for speed” to roll out a suite of cutting edge capabilities alongside Australia’s long-term nuclear submarine plan.

“It sends a very, very powerful message to the world,” he said.

The Defence Minister said that while “significant amount” of co-operation with the US and the UK on other defence technologies remained classified, the announcement represented a “critical moment in the history of pillar two of AUKUS”.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps hold a press conference during the AUKUS Defense Ministerial Meeting in Mountain View, California. Picture: AFP

After meeting with his American and British counterparts Lloyd Austin III and Grant Shapps, Mr Marles also revealed several new developments in the pact’s nuclear submarine pillar, with Australian personnel to conduct maintenance on a US boat for the first time next year at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia.

Australians have started training at US and UK shipyards to prepare for the maintenance work – and to eventually build our own nuclear-powered boats – while Australian naval officers will commence duty in Guam next year after completing nuclear submarine courses.

United States Navy Virginia Class submarine USS Mississippi arrives at Fleet Base West, Rockingham, Western Australia for a routine port visit.

Mr Marles did not reveal the cost of the pillar two initiatives, saying the government was “re-engineering” existing resources to team up with American and British defence innovation teams, and said further investment would come “as particular work on capabilities becomes more mature”.

He said the three countries were focused on “the speedy transition from idea into operation”, matching rapid technological developments with the needs of warfighters.

It will include equipping submarines with a fleet of unmanned vehicles to “greatly amplify” their capability.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles at the AUKUS Defense Ministerial Meeting in Mountain View, California. Picture: AFP

The AUKUS partners will complete a series of trilateral exercises next year to test unmanned undersea vehicles, while also rolling out artificial intelligence algorithms on maritime patrol aircraft to improve the detection of enemy submarines.

Other initiatives include the use of quantum computing to improve navigation and enhance stealth capabilities, an industry innovation challenge to identify electronic warfare tools, and an advanced radar system to monitor threats in deep space, with the first site to be operational in WA in 2026 and all three countries online by the end of the decade.

Mr Shapps said: “No one should be under the impression that any of us are prepared to be kind of bullied out of waters which are clearly international waters.”

Mr Austin said AUKUS was a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, as he rejected concerns that the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House next year could undo the pact.

While he said he was “confident that President (Joe) Biden’s going to win the next election”, Mr Austin said the three countries were developing “a generational capability” that had widespread bipartisan support.

Mr Marles agreed, saying he was “completely confident about the American system”. He said he remained hopeful that legislation required to progress AUKUS would be enacted in the US before the end of the year, amid complicated negotiations in Congress.

Originally published as AUKUS partners unveil new space and AI weapons to deal with China’s military agression