AUKUS defense chiefs to descend on London to discuss Pillar I and II roadmap

WASHINGTON — With new leadership in the United Kingdom and the US weeks away from deciding its own political future, the defense heads of the three AUKUS nations will meet later this week in London to plot the path forward for the trilateral security arrangement.

“This meeting, the third of its kind, reinforces our commitment on the third anniversary,” Pentagon spokesman Army Maj. Pete Nguyen told reporters ahead of the trip. “With changing governments, it provides an opportunity to review progress and sets a path for continued work.”

Nguyen was likely referring to the UK’s change in government recently, which put John Healey newly into the shoes of defense minister. But the meeting is also likely to be the last in-person ministerial for US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin as President Joe Biden prepares to hand over the executive branch to either Vice President Kamala Harris or Donald Trump in January, both of whom are likely to shake up their cabinet. (The Australian government has expressed confidence AUKUS will continue whoever wins.)

The White House changeover could have second- and third-order effects on Washington’s partnership with London and Canberra, but for now the trio of defense ministers is expected to dive into assessing and defining plans for both AUKUS Pillar I and II.

Pillar I centers on Australia’s purchase of at least three Virginia-class, conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines to be followed by the joint development of a new boat, dubbed SSN AUKUS. Nguyen said this week’s meeting will touch on the progress implementing the “Optimal Pathway,” or the conditions-based approach to support Australia’s acquisition.

The approach includes Royal Australian Navy personnel in various stages of the US nuclear submarine training pipeline. In July the first cohort of Australian Submarine Corporation personnel began training at the Pearl Harbor Navy Shipyard.

“These efforts are all critically important steps in building Australia’s capacity to support a rotational presence of UK and US SSNs at SRF-West [Submarine Rotational Force-West] beginning as early as 2027, as well as Australia’s future sovereign SSN capability,” Nguyen added. 

And in mid-August, the three defense ministers announced a series of defense export changes aimed at making it easier to transfer technology and sell weapons amongst each other. Sweeping US reforms went into effect Sept. 1 and are designed, in part, to help Australia buy and build nuclear attack submarines as part of the AUKUS agreement. Although International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) do not cover nuclear technology, it did apply to a variety of components and systems abroad the Virginia-class subs Australia is expected to buy.

Those US reform changes are also expected to speed up future exports for the non-submarine, tech-focused AUKUS Pillar II initiative.

That part of AUKUS revolves around jointly developing and employing advanced technologies such AI, autonomy, hypersonic weapons, advanced cyber operations and electronic warfare. The trio is also billing this an avenue to collaborate with other countries including Japan on maritime autonomy work, as well as Canada, New Zealand and South Korea.

At this week’s meeting in London, Nguyen said the defense ministers are expected to discuss ways to further “integrate” tech innovations over the coming two years, as well as “harmonize acquisition processes and [reduce] barriers to facilitate the accelerated delivery of Pillar II advanced capabilities.”