News- Australia and the UK have signed the Geelong Treaty under AUKUS Pillar I. The US, though part of AUKUS, is not a signatory, raising questions about the alliance’s future cohesion.
About Geelong Treaty
It is a bilateral Nuclear-Powered Submarine Partnership and Collaboration Treaty between Australia and the United Kingdom under the broader umbrella of AUKUS Pillar I.
Key highlights of the treaty:
- Duration: The treaty envisages 50 years of strategic cooperation.
- Focus: It enables comprehensive collaboration on the design, construction, operation, sustainment, and eventual disposal of a new generation of nuclear-powered conventionally armed submarines, referred to as SSN-AUKUS.
- Significance: It marks the most detailed and long-term defense manufacturing and technology sharing deal between the two countries in history.
- Context: The treaty was signed amid uncertainty over US commitment, as the Trump administration launched a review to assess whether the AUKUS submarine pact aligns with its “America First” foreign policy agenda.
About AUKUS
- AUKUS (Australia–United Kingdom–United States) is a trilateral security pact launched in September 2021 with the aim of strengthening deterrence and security in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in the context of China’s growing assertiveness.
- AUKUS is structured into two core pillars:
- Pillar I:
- Deals with the transfer of nuclear-powered submarine technology to Australia.
- Enables the Royal Australian Navy to acquire and operate conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs).
- Includes joint development of SSN-AUKUS class submarines with UK and US involvement.
- Pillar II:
- Focuses on joint advanced capabilities in areas such as:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Quantum technologies
- Cybersecurity
- Undersea technologies
- Hypersonic and counter-hypersonic systems
- Electronic warfare and innovation
- Focuses on joint advanced capabilities in areas such as:
