By Olawale Abaire, Warrior Editorial Fellow
The AUKUS alliance, a trilateral pact between Australia, the U.K., and the U.S., is making strides in developing unmanned undersea capabilities, many of which are designed to introduce new levels of undersea autonomy and networking. Small drones, for instance, can launch from submarine launch tubes from beneath the surface and conduct vital reconnaissance and attack missions.
While the submarine aspect of the AUKUS agreement will take several decades to materialize fully, the advancement of the high-tech components and drones being developed under the pact is already in progress. The aim is to achieve immediate victories for their respective fleets, as stated by officials.
The first major initiative of AUKUS was the commitment to support Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines. This year, the AUKUS allies are developing undersea capabilities they can field.
Furthermore, Vice Admiral Robert M. Gaucher, the leader of the U.S. Naval Submarine Forces, emphasized that the cornerstone of a successful implementation of the initial phase lies in the calculated progression of Australia’s nuclear submarine forces in tandem with the United States.
Industry advances the curve on hypersonic drone flight
Interestingly, the second pillar of the agreement is centered on developing and deploying cutting-edge technology that the nations can collaboratively work on. Eight working groups have been established, focusing on cyber, quantum, artificial intelligence, electronic warfare, hypersonics, undersea warfare, information sharing, and innovation. Each group has a list of concepts to test and deliver to operators rapidly.
In the words of the Naval Chief, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AO of the Royal Australian Navy;
“Submarines form the backbone of Australia’s defence strategy. The role of our submarines, along with other military resources, will progressively involve collaboration with autonomous systems beneath and atop the ocean’s surface, thereby enhancing their operational reach and firepower.”
The U.S. Navy in 2023 conducted successful demonstrations using HII’s Remus Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) and an L3Harris-made UUV. The UUV hardware is inherently capable of going in and out of the torpedo tube, but there’s a software and machine learning challenge to help the UUV learn to navigate various water conditions and safely find its way back into the submarine’s torpedo tube. If submarines can also fill their tubes with small UUVs, they’d gain the ability to stealthily expand their reach and surveil a larger area around the boat.
The development of these undersea capabilities is a significant step forward for the AUKUS alliance. The U.S. Army is in the process of developing a ground-based versions of the Navy Standard Missile (SM)-6 and Tomahawk missiles to engage targets on land and sea at ranges from 500 to 1500 km. These ground-based long-range strike capabilities emphasize technological advantages such as stealth, sensor integration, and precision targeting.
Furthermore, Pentagon has expressed confidence in the AUKUS alliance and its initiatives as all AUKUS nations have reaffirmed their commitment to take full advantage of AUKUS’s technological opportunities by combining national strengths to deepen collaboration and deliver game-changing capabilities at pace.
So, the development of undersea capabilities by the AUKUS allies is a significant step forward in the strategic competition with China. As emerging threats and technological advancements continue to evolve, the AUKUS alliance is well-positioned to respond effectively and maintain a strategic advantage in the Indo-Pacific region.
OLAWALE ABAIRE is a Warrior researcher, writer and analyst who has written many published nonfiction books
