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Defense Secretary Ben Wallace today met with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles for the first meeting of AUKUS Defense Ministers.
AUKUS is a tripartite security partnership announced in September 2021, comprising Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Meeting at the Pentagon in Washington DC, the three nations reiterated their shared commitment to the partnership and reviewed progress on identifying conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy.
They also agreed to joint military exercises in 2023 and 2024 that will further enhance the partners’ ability to operate together.
UK Secretary of State for Defense Ben Wallace said:
This first tripartite meeting is a landmark moment in the AUKUS partnership.
AUKUS reflects the unique level of trust and cooperation that the UK shares with its US and Australian partners, and I look forward to growing our technologies and capabilities together.
Discussions also covered the development of advanced capabilities including hypersonic weapons and undersea intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.
Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Richard Marles from Australia said:
AUKUS is a partnership built on trust, commitment and determination in the service of a secure and stable Indo-Pacific.
Together we hope to discuss the best way forward for the development of advanced capabilities and the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines for Australia.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said:
We announced this historic effort in September 2021 and the need for AUKUS is even more evident today.
More than ever, our three countries share a common view of the major challenges and opportunities facing our world.
The Defense Secretary and his counterparts committed to continued transparency with international partners on AUKUS, stressing that the partnership will complement and closely align with existing security partnerships in the Indo-Pacific such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
A joint statement was issued after the meeting outlining AUKUS’s progress so far as well as future commitments.
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace also held bilateral talks with his US and Australian counterparts.
Speaking to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the Defense Secretary welcomed the publication of the new US National Defense Strategy which provides a narrative on Russia and China that is strongly aligned with the UK’s own integrated review.
The Defense Secretary thanked the Deputy Prime Minister and Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles for the decision to deploy Australian Defense Force personnel to the UK to support a UK-led training program for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which will begin in January 2023. In addition to the AUKUS partnership, opportunities for greater defense cooperation between the UK and Australia were also discussed.
Chief of Defense Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defense David Williams were also in Washington for the AUKUS tripartite meeting. The two held separate meetings with their counterparts to discuss US-UK nuclear cooperation, support for Ukraine and progress on the AUKUS partnership.
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