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DEFENCE REPORTSpecial reports
Australia Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles (left), UK Defence Secretary John Healey (centre), and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III (right) at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich UK. *** Local Caption *** Defence Ministers from Australia, the UK and the US met at the Old Royal Naval College in London. The meeting was the first trilateral Defence Ministers AUKUS meeting to be held outside of the United States. It comes as the UK and Australia have agreed plans to commence negotiations on a bilateral AUKUS treaty between the two countries. The treaty will establish the strategic and operational framework for bilateral cooperation under AUKUS with a focus on the core elements of the delivery of SSN-AUKUS.

The doomed conceit of a political AUKUS

AUKUS will not be defeated by its lack of any plausible policy foundation, its unsupported intelligence pronouncements, or the absence of any implementation plan. It will be defeated by its un­achievability, as much in Britain and the US as in Australia.

DEFENCE REPORTSpecial reports
Australia will purchase Extra Large Autonomous Undersea Vehicles (XLAUVs) a stealthy, multi-role, undersea capability with the capacity to carry various military payloads over long distances. Picture: Supplied

Anduril looking to overturn tradition

US company Anduril, which is better known for developing the Ghost Shark autonomous submarine for the Navy, is one of four companies that will respond to Defence’s request for establishing a rocket motor manufacturing complex in Australia.

DEFENCE REPORTSpecial reports
An Australian Army M113AS4 armoured logistics vehicle, fitted with optionally crewed combat vehicle technology and a remote weapon station, fires from a support-by-fire position during a human-machine team exercise at Puckapunyal Military Area. *** Local Caption *** The Australian Army’s Robotic and Autonomous Systems Implementation & Coordination Office (RICO) conducted a human-machine team exercise at Puckapunyam Military Area on Thursday, 7 June, 2023. The aim was to converge several RICO emerging technology projects into a simulated future warfare environment. Autonomous drones, robots, and optionally crewed combat vehicles fitted with remote weapon systems worked within a conventional combined arms team in defeating a simulated enemy. The activity showed how human-machine teams can help minimise potential harm to soldiers.

Budget holding back whole-of-Defence strategy

Rapid technological change has wrought significant changes in how wars are fought and won. So, DSTG is a party to the ­reimagining and overhaul of ­Defence’s capability development and acquisition processes.

DEFENCE REPORTSpecial reports
attached images are taken by me and show the ATLAS at the recent Land Forces exhibition in Melbourne.

ATLAS brings autonomy to the fight

Australia is not rich in human resources and must therefore ‘punch above its weight’ against a larger adversary – and the key to this is the ­development of autonomously operated vehicles.

BOARDING SCHOOLS GUIDESpecial reports
The Southport School’s location on the Gold Coast provides an array of weekend activities for boarders.

The Southport School, Qld

The Southport School has been a home away from home for thousands of young men. It proudly boasts the largest boarding facility in Queensland and one of the largest in the country.

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/special-reports/page/2