By Mike Stone
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – In an effort to optimize the trilateral AUKUS defense technology partnership, the Biden administration is sending a high-level delegation to Australia this week for a series of meetings, according to a U.S. official on Monday.
The AUKUS agreement encompasses the sale of U.S. nuclear-powered submarines, the sharing of nuclear-propulsion technology, and the joint development of high-tech weaponry with Australia. It represents the largest defense project in Australian history and serves as a response to China’s increasing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Mara Karlin, the acting deputy under secretary of defense for policy and leader of the U.S. delegation, stated in an interview before her flight to Canberra on Monday that, “We are fostering significant undersea capabilities among these three allies, enhancing our advanced technological collaboration, and all of this is in pursuit of achieving a more stable and secure Indo-Pacific.”
The U.S. delegation includes representatives from the State Department, the White House’s National Security Council staff, the Energy Department (responsible for overseeing the nuclear fuel used to power submarines), and various offices within the Pentagon, Karlin added.
As part of the multi-day assessment of the AUKUS agreement, the Submarine Executive Group will convene to review the progress made on “Pillar One” – the historic sale of nuclear-powered submarines armed with conventional weaponry to Australia, Karlin explained.
The Advanced Capabilities Executive Group, consisting of top policy personnel from the defense establishments of the three countries, will also gather to evaluate the advancements in “Pillar Two” – which focus on cooperation and development in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, cyber security, electronic warfare, innovation, and information sharing, Karlin elaborated.
Last month, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with new U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and expressed his hope that the AUKUS legislation would be passed by the U.S. Congress this year.
(Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
