If there were any lingering concerns about how a new alliance between the United States (US), Australia and the United Kingdom (UK) would operate, the unveiling of a detailed and multi-decade plan of action on Tuesday would have allayed them. Under the agreement, Australia will first receive at least three nuclear-powered submarines from the US, beginning in the early years of the next decades, with the possibility of two more if required. As part of the pact, the US also
If there were any lingering concerns about how a new alliance between the United States (US), Australia and the United Kingdom (UK) would operate, the unveiling of a detailed and multi-decade plan of action on Tuesday would have allayed them. Under the agreement, Australia will first receive at least three nuclear-powered submarines from the US, beginning in the early years of the next decades, with the possibility of two more if required. As part of the pact, the US also pledged $4.6 billion over the next few years to build Australia’s submarine construction capacity and improve the maintenance of its Virginia-class submarines.
The plan can prove to be an inflection point in the security architecture of the Indo-Pacific and the South China Sea — and it is precisely because of this reason that Beijing reacted sharply. China warned the UK, the US and Australia that the deal will “stimulate an arms race, undermine the international nuclear non-proliferation system and damage regional peace and stability”. The reasons are not hard to fathom. It is clear that despite the somewhat abrupt announcement in 2021, AUKUS is here to stay and will deepen its footprint in the region. Coupled with Quad, AUKUS will further attempt to hem China’s influence in its backyard and prove that despite the Ukraine conflict showing no signs of winding down, Washington remains invested in the Indo-Pacific, and for the long term. This will have long-reaching implications for the busy shipping routes in the southern Indian Ocean and the disputed South China Sea and mark Canberra’s rise as a possible guarantor of regional security. At a time when India’s ties with all three AUKUS partners are on the upswing, this is likely to put New Delhi in a comfortable position.
One Subscription.
Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines
to 100 year archives.
Archives
HT App & Website