Britain, US and Australia to develop underwater drones as part of Aukus defence pact

Britain, along with the US and Australia, will join forces to develop underwater drones as part of the Aukus defence pact.

Announced earlier today, a joint statement from the three nations confirmed the scheme will boost each country's strike capabilities.

It added that it would also "bolster superiority in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, mine countermeasures, electronic warfare, and contested littoral manoeuvre".

The statement announced the plan to curate the latest defence technology, from quantum computing to undersea, hypersonic, artifiical intelligence and cyber technology.

"This will rapidly give our forces the very most advanced battlefield technologies as together we produce a range of cutting-edge sensors and weapons systems for undersea drones," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.

Meanwhile, the US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said: "The signature project will deliver a suite of highly adaptable multi-mission UUV payloads designed to support undersea operations and maintain our collective advantage in the maritime domain."

The western alliance was formed back in 2021 in a bid to fight back against the rise of China across the Indo-Pacific region.

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