The United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia have announced a joint effort to develop advanced underwater drones as governments pay closer attention to the security of cables and pipelines lying beneath the sea.
The project, unveiled by defence ministers at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, will be carried out under Aukus, the security partnership formed by the three countries in 2021. Britain is expected to contribute £150 million, while the first systems could be ready for use next year.
The programme will focus on technology for uncrewed underwater vehicles that can be adapted for a range of missions. These may include surveillance, reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, logistical support, and strikes against hostile targets. Officials said the work would also improve the ability of the three navies to monitor activity in strategically important waters and respond more quickly when risks emerge.
A joint statement said the partners would develop “cutting edge payloads and enabling systems” for the vehicles. British Defence Secretary John Healey said the equipment would “rapidly give our forces advanced battle technologies” and help tackle threats “including to our underwater cables and pipelines on which so much of our daily life depends.”
The announcement comes as concern grows over the vulnerability of subsea infrastructure. Underwater cables carry much of the world’s internet traffic and are essential to communications, financial services, and government operations. Pipelines also remain critical to energy supplies.
British officials have warned of an increase in Russian vessels operating near UK waters in recent years. Moscow has denied allegations that it is involved in covert operations targeting cables and pipelines. Elsewhere, Chinese ships have been linked to suspected cable damage near Taiwan and in Swedish waters, while several incidents have also been recorded in the Baltic Sea.
The drone initiative is the first major project under the second pillar of Aukus, which covers cooperation on advanced military technologies. Healey acknowledged past criticism of the partnership, saying “for too long in Aukus, we talked too much and delivered too little,” before adding “that has now changed under our three governments.”