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1 [1] (March 3, 2025)

handle is hein.crs/govesqu0001 and id is 1 raw text is: AUKUS and Indo-Pacific Security Updated March 3, 2025 In 2021, Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States announced a trilateral security partnership intended to deepen diplomatic, security, and defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. Some experts and Members of Congress describe the partnership, known as AUKUS, as a response to the growing military capabilities of the People's Republic of China (PRC, or China) and what one Senator described in a press statement as the urgent challenge China poses. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has indicated that the Trump Administration plans to continue U.S. support for AUKUS. AUKUS consists of two main pillars of cooperation. Pillar I involves the provision by the United States and UK to Australia of nuclear propulsion technology. The UK and Australia plan to develop, with U.S. assistance, a new class of nuclear -powered attack submarines for delivery to their respective navies in the late 2030s and early 2040s. (Australia currently does not have nuclear-powered submarines.) Pillar II focuses on cooperation to develop advanced capabilities in areas such as hypersonic weapons, undersea capabilities, electronic warfare, cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, and quantum technologies. AUKUS also may prompt new engagements and minilateral structures among Indo-Pacific partners. Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea have sought to engage with the AUKUS partners on Pillar II. AUKUS and U.S. Security Ties AUKUS augments several existing alliances, security arrangements, and regional initiatives (see Figure 1) that frame U.S. defense and intelligence ties with Australia and the UK. * The United States and Australia are allies under the 1951 Australia, New Zealand, United States (ANZUS) alliance (but as of 1985, the United States has suspended its security guarantee to New Zealand), and the United States and the UK have been allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) since 1949. The UK, and now Australia, are the only countries with which the United States shares nuclear propulsion technology. * The United States, Australia, and the UK, along with Canada and New Zealand, make up the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group (established in 1946). * The United States joined with Australia, Japan, and India initially in 2007 and again in 2017 to form the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad). Figure I. Defense, Intelligence, and Security Groups Five Eyes Canada New Zealand U.S. India Japan . .... ...... .. .. .. Source: CRS. Austra a and AUKUS Since assuming office in 2022, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Labour Party government have embraced AUKUS. Australia's 2024 National Defence Strategy conveys the Australian government's concerns about China's coercive tactics in pursuit of its strategic objectives and reaffirms its view that Australia's security is underpinned by its partnerships with regional countries and its alliance with the United States. Through AUKUS, Australia intends to acquire additional long-range strike capabilities to deter and respond to potential security challenges. This includes the acquisition of Tomahawk cruise missiles for its Hobart Class destroyers, Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles for its F/A-18 Hornet aircraft, extended-range Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles for its F/A-18 and F-35A aircraft, hypersonic missiles, and uncrewed underwater vehicles. AUKUS appears to be part of broader Australian efforts to bolster the country's military capabilities. Australia's defense budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-2025 is expected to be approximately $35.5 billion (AU$55.7 billion), equivalent to about 2.0% of gross domestic product (GDP). By FY2033-FY2034, the government says it intends to spend approximately $64 billion (AU$100 billion) on defense annually, equivalent to about 2.4% of GDP. The Un ted Kingdom and AUKUS Since winning office in July 2024, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Labour Party government also have expressed support for the AUKUS agreement. Close ties with Australia have been a cornerstone of the UK's approach to the Indo-Pacific region. The two countries signed a new Agreement for Defense and Security Cooperation in 2024, refreshing an earlier treaty signed in 2013. In addition to cooperation in developing new AUKUS-class submarines, UK company BAE Systems is constructing six new anti-submarine warfare frigates for the Australian Navy.