U.S., U.K., Australia Form New Defense and Security “Partnership”

Sept. 16, 2021 (EIRNS)—President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced during a virtual three-way summit yesterday, a new defense and security “partnership” among the three countries. It is to be called AUKUS—Australia-United Kingdom-United States—which will be “guided by our enduring ideals and shared commitment to the international rules-based order,” said the “Joint Leaders Statement on AUKUS,” posted to the White House website.

“Through AUKUS, our governments will strengthen the ability of each to support our security and defense interests, building on our longstanding and ongoing bilateral ties,” the statement said. “We will promote deeper information and technology sharing. We will foster deeper integration of security and defense-related science, technology, industrial bases, and supply chains. And in particular, we will significantly deepen cooperation on a range of security and defense capabilities.”

The first initiative under the new arrangement will be an 18-month effort to explore a pathway for supplying Australia with its own fleet of nuclear-powered submarines “at the earliest achievable date,” it said. “The development of Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines would be a joint endeavor between the three nations, with a focus on interoperability, commonality, and mutual benefit,” the statement goes on. The statement also stresses, as did the three leaders in a joint press appearance, that the program will be fully in compliance with all nuclear proliferation commitments.

The three leaders also stressed that the new arrangement is just one of a number of efforts in the Indo-Pacific region. “AUKUS will also enhance our contribution to our growing network of partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region: ANZUS [Australia, New Zealand, U.S.]; our ASEAN friends; our bilateral strategic partners, the Quad; Five Eyes countries; and, of course, our dear Pacific family,” Morrison said in “Remarks by President Biden, Prime Minister Morrison of Australia, and Prime Minister Johnson of the United Kingdom Announcing the Creation of AUKUS.” Even more significantly, “the U.K., Australia, and the U.S. will be joined even more closely together, reflecting the measure of trust between us, the depth of our friendship, and the enduring strength of our shared values of freedom and democracy,” Johnson put in..

“Indeed, this effort reflects a broader trend of key European countries playing an extremely important role in the Indo-Pacific,” Biden proclaimed. “France, in particular, already has a substantial Indo-Pacific presence and is a key partner and ally in strengthening the security and prosperity of the region. The United States looks forward to working closely with France and other key countries as we go forward.”

“And the United States will also continue to work with ASEAN and the Quad, as was stated earlier; our five treaty allies and other close partners in the Indo-Pacific; as well as allies and partners in Europe and around the world to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific, and build a future of peace, opportunity for all the people of the region,” Biden said, closing their remarks.