Perspective Chapter: AUKUS Pillar 2 – Technology, Interoperability, and Advanced Capabilities in the Evolving Trilateral Security Partnership

Abstract

The Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) partnership is more than an agreement on nuclear propulsion submarines. In Pillar 2 of the agreement, AUKUS serves as an advanced technological accelerator premised on strategic collaboration, interoperability, and integration in the Indo-Pacific. Pillar 2 prioritizes advanced technologies and defense industrial capabilities in the trilateral partnership’s strategic competition with China. This perspective chapter unpacks eight functional areas that comprise Pillar 2: hypersonic missiles and long-range weapons, artificial intelligence, undersea capabilities, advanced cybersecurity, quantum technologies, autonomous weapon systems, information sharing, and innovation. Measures of success are determined by AUKUS partners applying these to balance China. However, bureaucratic impediments and export controls, protecting information, intelligence, and communications, and future expansion of AUKUS challenge the trilateral partnership. However, AUKUS Pillar 2 has strong potential to strengthen interoperability and build confidence and trust in innovative solutions to emerging threats. Pillar 2 represents a new form of alliance-building with its focus on technological innovation and information sharing, flexibility, integration, and interoperability. The perspective in this chapter is that AUKUS is a strategically significant alliance that furthers collaboration, integration, and interoperability in advanced defense technologies and capabilities in deterring China and projecting international order.