US, UK, Australia to Launch Underwater Drone Project

United States, United Kingdom and Australia have announced plans to jointly develop advanced underwater drone technology aimed at protecting undersea infrastructure and strengthening defence capabilities under their Aukus military alliance.

The uncrewed undersea vehicle (UUV) program is expected to be ready by next year. While the total cost of the project has not been disclosed, UK Defense Secretary John Healey confirmed that Britain will contribute £150m ($201m).

The announcement was made by defense ministers from the three countries during a security summit in Singapore. It comes amid criticism that progress on Aukus projects has been slower than expected.

The Aukus defence pact, launched in 2021, brings together the US, UK and Australia in the development of nuclear-powered submarines and the sharing of advanced military technologies. The alliance is widely seen as a strategic effort to counter China’s growing maritime influence in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly amid rising tensions in disputed areas such as the South China Sea.

The underwater drone program marks the first major project under Aukus Pillar Two, which focuses on developing advanced capabilities including hypersonic weapons, undersea robotics and artificial intelligence.

In a joint statement, the countries said the new system would involve “cutting edge payloads and enabling systems” designed for UUVs. These drones are expected to protect seabed infrastructure, conduct surveillance and reconnaissance missions, support strikes, and carry out logistics operations.

UK Defense Secretary Healey also said that new sensors and weapons systems would be developed for the drones, enabling what he described as a rapid enhancement of ‘advanced battle technologies’ for allied forces. He added that the system would help counter threats to underwater cables and pipelines that are critical to modern economies.

He further said that the initiative would strengthen deterrence across the Pacific, Atlantic, and northern maritime regions.

The announcement follows recent concerns raised by the UK over possible Russian activity targeting undersea cables and pipelines. Russia has denied such allegations. Earlier, the UK and Norway agreed to expand cooperation in tracking Russian submarine movements in the North Atlantic to protect critical underwater infrastructure.

UK officials estimate that around 60 undersea cables connect Britain to global networks, and warn that these systems face increasing risk, including a reported rise in Russian naval activity in recent years. There have also been allegations of damage to undersea cables in waters near Taiwan and in parts of northern Europe, including the Baltic Sea.

Officials from the three Aukus countries did not directly answer questions at the Singapore summit about whether the underwater drone program is intended to counter Russian or Chinese activity, or whether progress under Aukus has been too slow.
Source: BBC (adaptive)