Geelong Treaty

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