AUKUS Partners Overhaul Defence Technology Sharing in Historic Move

Australia, the United States, and Britain have significantly reduced barriers to sharing defence technologies, marking a major advancement for the AUKUS alliance. This move accelerates the approval process for sensitive defence exports and supports Australia’s goal of acquiring nuclear-powered submarines.

The removal of red tape is also expected to speed up the development and production of advanced military technologies such as undersea drones, hypersonic missiles, and quantum technologies among the AUKUS partners. Despite being Australia’s closest military ally, the US had previously restricted the sharing of highly sensitive defence technology under the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Starting next month, 70% of US defence exports to Australia that were previously governed by ITAR will be licence-free.

Defence Minister Richard Marles hailed the reforms as a major enhancement to Australia’s security, emphasizing that they will revolutionize defence trade, innovation, and cooperation at the pace and scale necessary to address current strategic challenges.

The historic AUKUS agreement, signed in March of last year, is divided into two pillars. Under the first pillar, Australia will invest up to $368 billion by 2055 to build a fleet of eight nuclear-propelled submarines in Adelaide, with the first entering service in the 2040s. The second pillar focuses on the sharing and development of advanced military technologies, including hypersonic missiles, undersea capabilities, and artificial intelligence, with an emphasis on countering Chinese assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.