AUKUS: New partnership between Australia, the U.K. and the U.S.

AUKUS: New partnership between Australia, the U.K. and the U.S.

Part of: Prelims and GS II – International Relations

Context A week before a meeting of Quad leaders in Washington DC, the Biden administration has announced a new trilateral security partnership for the Indo-Pacific between Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. (AUKUS).

• The grouping is security focused.
• It is also different from — but complementary to — arrangements such as the Quad.

Key features of the partnership

• A central feature of the partnership would involve a trilateral 18-month effort to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines which are quieter, more capable and can be deployed for longer periods, needing to surface less frequently. 
• The partnership would also involve a new architecture of meetings and engagements between the three countries and also cooperation across emerging technologies (applied AI, quantum technologies and undersea capabilities).
• The U.S. sharing this kind of technology on nuclear submarines had been done only once before — with the U.K. and almost 70 years ago.
• Significance: Australia has felt increasing pressure from an assertive China and has sought to strengthen its partnerships with India, the U.S. and the U.K., including through ‘plurilateral’ forums.

News source: TH