U.S., Britain and Australia Announce Plans for Joint Unmanned Undersea Vehicle Deliveries Starting in 2027

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters on Saturday. A joint AUKUS statement said the program will improve reconnaissance and strike capabilities and bolster superiority in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, mine countermeasures, electronic warfare, and contested littoral maneuver.

The effort falls under Pillar Two, which focuses on advanced technologies including quantum computing, undersea systems, hypersonics, artificial intelligence and cyber capabilities. "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," Hegseth said.

Britain's Defence Secretary John Healey said the vehicles will give forces the most advanced battlefield technologies through cutting-edge sensors and weapons systems for undersea drones.

He added that the systems will sharpen the three countries' ability to respond to threats, including those targeting underwater cables and pipelines. "For too long in AUKUS, we talked too much and delivered too little," Healey said while speaking alongside Hegseth and Australia's defense minister on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

AUKUS was formed by the three countries in 2021 as part of efforts to counter China's growing power in the Indo-Pacific region.

China has called the pact dangerous and warned it could spur a regional arms race.