The heads of government of Australia, the UK and the US announced the formation of a trilateral security pact, to be known by the acronym, AUKUS.
Key Dimensions
Nuclear Submarines: As part of this initiative, Australia will acquire nuclear-powered submarines with help from the US and the UK within a span of 18 months.
The grouping will also involve the sharing of cyber capabilities and other undersea technologies.
Focus on the Indo-Pacific: The leaders have clarified that the new pact is about advancing their strategic interests, upholding the international rules-based order, and promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
The pact will focus on military capability and its orientation makes it an alliance against China’s assertive actions in the South China Sea.
Multi-Sectoral Cooperation: It includes a new architecture of meetings and engagements between the three countries, as well as cooperation across emerging technologies such as applied Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum technologies and undersea capabilities.
Implications for India
India- US relations have seen significant growth in the past few years. But AUKUS may be the beginning of a shift in the US policy which is about finding a new partner to lead in the Indo-Pacific region, i.e., Australia.
Alongside India’s stated intent to acquire more nuclear-powered submarines, the new developments that will result from AUKUS will amount to a step-change increase in the Quad’s undersea and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
Significance of AUKUS Grouping
The Indo-Pacific is fast emerging as the theatre of geopolitical rivalry, with China staking claim over the whole of the South China Sea. AUKUS will help sustain peace and stability across the entire Indo-Pacific region.
The new alliance will complement existing arrangements in the Indo-Pacific region such as the Quad and ASEAN.
