Britain, US and Australia on underwater drone project to deepen AUKUS defence partnership

The military alliance of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States will jointly develop new underwater drones, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Saturday.

“We are accelerating the delivery of advanced capabilities to our warfighters and together today we are pleased to announce the first AUKUS ‘Pillar Two’ project focused on fielding advanced unmanned underwater vehicles, or UUVs,” Hegseth said at a press conference in Singapore.

"The landmark project will deliver a range of highly adaptable multi-mission UUV payloads, designed to support underwater operations and maintain our collective advantage in the maritime domain," he said.

AUKUS is a trilateral security partnership established in 2021 by Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Politico reports.

It focuses on countering China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region by increasing the military capabilities of the three countries through the deployment of nuclear-powered submarines, what is known as the "First Pillar" of the alliance.

The three countries are also collaborating to develop advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cyber capabilities, and other underwater and defense systems – referred to as the “Second Pillar.”

The alliance includes the purchase of nuclear-powered submarines from the United States by Australia, the joint development of a new AUKUS-class submarine, and the creation of facilities to host American and British submarines on Australian soil.

In mid-2025, the United Kingdom and Australia sought to reassure Washington of their commitment to AUKUS after the Pentagon ordered a review of the pact, fueling fears that the United States might withdraw from the agreement. Those concerns were allayed in October when U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed his support for the alliance.

"The United States, as we have said from the beginning, and we think the review that we undertook only strengthened this partnership, remains committed to the AUKUS partnership and is moving as quickly as possible to increase our combined submarine presence in the Pacific region," Hegseth said Saturday.

"These are three countries that are making real capabilities available that we will put in the hands of the fighters next year, and we are extremely pleased that we have been able to reach an agreement," Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said at the same press conference.

“For too long with AUKUS, we have talked too much and delivered too little,” said UK Defence Secretary John Healey. “That has now changed under our three governments, and as President Trump has said, we are now full steam ahead with AUKUS.”

The GeoPost