AUKUS Nations Launch New Underwater Drone Weapons Project to Revive Pillar II Cooperation

The US, Australia and the United Kingdom have unveiled a major new defence initiative aimed at accelerating the development of advanced underwater drones, weapons systems and sensor technology a move designed to inject fresh momentum into Pillar II of the AUKUS security pact.

The “signature” project was announced in Singapore by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and UK Defence Secretary John Healey on the sidelines of the Shangri‑La Dialogue. While public debate has long centred on AUKUS Pillar I the plan to deliver nuclear‑powered submarines Pillar II has faced criticism for slow progress and unclear outcomes.

Healey acknowledged the lag, telling reporters that “for too long on AUKUS we have talked too much and delivered too little,” but insisted the three governments were now determined to change course. Marles described the announcement as “hugely significant,” saying the new technology would begin rolling out from 2027, with all three nations committing real funding and urgency.

“This is all three countries putting real money behind a capability we will put into the hands of the war fighter next year,” Marles said. Hegseth added that the underwater drone program would help the partners maintain their “collective advantage” in emerging defence technologies.

The exact scale of investment remains unclear. Healey confirmed the UK has committed more than US$170 million, while Australia and the US have yet to publicly disclose their contributions.

The new underwater drones are expected to play a critical role in protecting undersea cables, conducting high‑end surveillance and striking enemy targets. Healey said the technology would help the three nations “detect, deter and deal with threats,” including those targeting the pipelines and cables that underpin global communications and energy flows.

Earlier in the day, Marles warned of a troubling rise in subsea cable cuts in the Baltic Sea and near Taiwan, suggesting that if deliberate, such incidents may be attempts to “test our political will to respond.”

Defence analysts welcomed the announcement. Justin Bassi, head of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the three nations were “smart” to publicly outline their progress on underwater drone capabilities, signalling renewed seriousness about Pillar II.