Australia is pressing forward to develop technology in support of AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership among Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The Australian government announced $8 million in contracts to companies that are developing electronic warfare (EW) technology under a program established to produce critical capabilities for all three AUKUS nations. The contract awards, announced in February 2025, are part of the AUKUS Innovation Challenge series, which connects AUKUS Partners to cutting-edge technology.
“These capabilities allow joint AUKUS forces to generate superior situational awareness and communicate effectively across all domains in contested environments — even when an adversary might attempt to blind our awareness or block timely command and control capability,” according to the news release. “The AUKUS Innovation Challenge Series connects all three AUKUS Partners to the very best technology, leveraging each nation’s comparative advantages and delivering cutting-edge capabilities to our defense forces.”
In addition to technology development, AUKUS nations conduct joint trainings and exercises, including Maritime Big Play, an October 2024 exercise that evaluated the Allies’ ability to jointly operate uncrewed maritime systems, share and process naval data, and provide real-time maritime domain awareness in support of decision-making.
AUKUS was formed in 2021 to support a Free and Open Indo-Pacific amid increased tension with the People’s Republic of China. The pact incorporates two phases, called “pillars.” Pillar 1 calls for Australia to acquire a nuclear-powered submarine capability, using technology shared by the U.S. under a $3 billion agreement to provide several Virginia-class submarines. Australia and the U.K. will later build a new AUKUS-class submarine.
Under Pillar 2, the partner nations will seek combined, interoperable capabilities, including EW systems, hypersonic and counter-hypersonic technology, cyber capabilities and systems leveraging artificial intelligence. The U.S. government in January 2025 eased restrictions on sharing of certain technologies with Allied nations, including those in AUKUS, to enable production of advanced missile technologies and space-related capabilities. The new guidance on the application of the Missile Technology Control Regime covers certain missile technology and unmanned aerial systems and space launch vehicle systems.
As AUKUS Partners work together on Pillar 2 technology, Pillar 1 work continues. In January 2025, the Australian submarine agency announced $262 million to establish supply chain and training support to enhance the industrial base needed to build the SSN-AUKUS submarine. The partnership is already well underway, with Australia having made its first $500 million payment to the U.S. for the Virginia-class submarine deal, according to Reuters. Australia made the payment in advance of a meeting between Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington, D.C.
Marles called the payment “an important investment.”
“It is about Australia paying its way when it comes to AUKUS by helping to uplift the U.S. submarine industrial base, so that Virginia-class submarines are available to be transferred to Australia,” Marles said.
During the meeting, the two countries discussed the increased security challenges in the Indo-Pacific, said U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“This is not a mission in the Indo-Pacific that America can undertake by itself,” Hegseth said. “It has to [include] robust Allies and Partners. Technology sharing and subs are a huge part of it.”