AUKUS to develop unmanned underwater drones, delivery planned for 2027

(Patria) - The United States, the United Kingdom and Australia are jointly working on developing unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) as part of their trilateral defense agreement AUKUS, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters on Saturday, Reuters reported.

AUKUS stated in a joint communiqué that delivery of the vehicles will begin in 2027.

The program will enhance the reconnaissance and strike capabilities of the three countries "and strengthen superiority in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, mine countermeasures, electronic warfare and contested coastal maneuver," the statement added. The program falls under the so-called "Pillar II" of AUKUS for developing advanced defense technology, including quantum computing, undersea, hypersonic, artificial intelligence and cyber technology.

"This signature project will deliver a range of highly adaptable multi-purpose UUV payloads designed to support undersea operations and maintain our collective advantage in the maritime domain," Hegseth said.

AUKUS, which the three countries formed in 2021, is part of their efforts to counter China's growing power in the Indo-Pacific region.

China has called AUKUS dangerous and warned it could fuel a regional arms race.

"This will rapidly give our forces the most advanced technologies on the battlefield, as we jointly produce a range of state-of-the-art sensors and weapon systems for underwater drones," said British Defense Secretary John Healey.

Healey added that the unmanned underwater vehicles will improve the ability of all three countries to respond to threats, including those targeting undersea cables and pipelines.

"For too long in AUKUS we have talked too much and delivered too little," said Healey, who spoke alongside Hegseth and Australian Defense Minister on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.