Australia officially signs defence agreement with US and Britain
The "AUKUS" agreement is going ahead. Despite the controversy over a defence and military programme that had been kept relatively quiet and which had directly affected France as the country supplying Australia with nuclear submarines, Australia has agreed to a first pact between Britain and the United States through which they have committed to "an exchange of information on naval nuclear propulsion".
The pact is the first to be agreed after the announcement of the AUKUS alliance, a strategic plan that seeks to address growing defence tensions between the US and China in the Pacific Rim. It was reportedly signed with US Chargé d'Affaires Michael Goldman and Britain's High Commissioner to Australia, Victoria Triddle. According to his statements, the agreement would "help Australia complete an 18-month study on the acquisition of submarines". Meanwhile, Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton indicated that the signature on this new exchange and supply had been executed.
Australia is embarking on a controversial programme that creates a new strategic defence alliance involving two major powers, the United States and Britain. Moreover, this alliance is taking place against a backdrop of clear detriment to France, a crisis that has opened up a diplomatic rift between Canberra and Paris.
Even so, French President Emmanuel Macron claimed to have turned the page on the affair and praised "the process of trust" that Joe Biden is said to have initiated during their meeting at the G20 summit. Nevertheless, this diplomatic sequence has been denounced as "a real humiliation" by the French political class. Politicians such as Jean-Yves Le Drian called the decision "brutal" and "a blow in the back" by Canberra.
However, the details of the submarine procurement are still unknown, especially whether Australia will opt for US or British attack submarines operating on nuclear propulsion. According to a statement issued by Dutton, "with access to the information provided by this agreement and the contractual experience of our UK and US partners in nuclear-powered submarines, Australia will also be able to manage this technology responsibly and reliably".
Prior to the signing, US President Joe Biden endorsed the alliance, saying it would "enhance the common defence posture of all three countries". Under the AUKUS agreement, Australia would get eight advanced nuclear-powered submarines with long-range mission capabilities. In addition, it gives the three countries the possibility of exchanging electronic capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum capabilities and submarine capabilities that have not yet been specified.
