WASHINGTON: The US administration is sending a high-level delegation to Australia for a series of talks this week to evaluate the progress of the trilateral AUKUS defense technology collaboration, Western media reported on Monday.
AUKUS is an arrangement for the sale of U.S. nuclear-powered submarines and sharing of nuclear-propulsion technology with Australia, as well as development of high-tech weapons.
The three-way agreement between Australia, the United States and Britain is the biggest defense initiative in the history of Australia and a response to China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific.
The U.S. delegation’s leader Mara Karlin, the acting deputy undersecretary of defense for policy during an interview with local media said that the US is building meaningful undersea capability among these three allies.
US increasing advanced technological collaboration
Kerlin said the US is increasing its advanced technological collaboration in pursuit of a more stable and secure Indo-Pacific.
The U.S. is also sending representatives from the State Department, the White House’s National Security Council staff, the Energy Department, that looks the nuclear fuel to power submarines.
Karlin said the Submarine Executive Group will also hold a meeting with Australian officials to review progress on “Pillar One”, the sale of nuclear-powered armed submarines to Canberra.
The Advanced Capabilities Executive Group, comprised of the top policy personnel from the three countries’ defense establishments, will assess progress on the “Pillar Two” project to enhance cooperation and development in the fields of artificial intelligence, electronic warfare, cyber, quantum, and information sharing.
Last month, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a meeting with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed the hope that the U.S. Congress would likely to pass AUKUS legislation this year.
