SINGAPORE: The United States, United Kingdom and Australia have announced plans to jointly develop underwater drone systems aimed at protecting undersea communication cables and strengthening defence capabilities under their Aukus security partnership.
The uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) technology is expected to be operational by next year. Although the total project cost has not been disclosed, UK Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed that Britain will contribute £150 million ($201 million).
The announcement was made by defence ministers of the three countries during a security summit in Singapore, amid earlier criticism over slow progress in Aukus initiatives.
Responding to concerns, Healey said that the alliance had previously “talked too much and delivered too little,” but added that this situation has now changed under the current governments.
Formed in 2021, the Aukus pact originally focused on developing nuclear-powered submarines and sharing advanced military technologies among the three allies. It is widely viewed as a strategic effort to counter China’s growing naval influence in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly amid tensions in areas such as the South China Sea.
The underwater drone initiative marks the first major project under Aukus Pillar Two, which focuses on advanced defence technologies including hypersonic weapons, underwater robotics and artificial intelligence.
A joint statement said the new systems will feature advanced payloads and supporting technologies designed to protect seabed infrastructure, carry out surveillance and reconnaissance, support logistics operations, and conduct precision strikes.
(Inputs from BBC)
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