The Biden administration is expected to make an announcement this fall detailing the advanced technology cooperation component of the new trilateral security pact with Australia and the United Kingdom, the Pentagon’s chief technology officer said on Tuesday.
Heidi Shyu, the under secretary of defense for research and engineering, declined to offer specifics on the technology development piece of the AUKUS agreement, while noting she’s proposed a “portfolio of capabilities” that highlight how the three nations’ advanced technologies can be linked together.
“I don’t want to get ahead of [the president] or [Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin]. But I did propose something to [Austin], which he loved. So it’ll be coming soon. We’re fleshing out the details on the critical technologies,” Shyu told reporters National Defense Industrial Association’s (NDIA) Emerging Technologies for Defense conference.
The new AUKUS pact aims to help Australia build its own nuclear-powered attack submarines, while the security agreement also includes a second component focused on bolstering cooperation among the three nations’ on advanced technology development.
Last year, a joint statement issued from U.S., U.K. and Australia leadership confirmed that AUKUS’ “Pillar Two” would include cooperation on technologies such as hypersonic and counter-hypersonic weapons, electronic warfare, cyber capability, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies (Defense Daily, April 5, 2022).
During her remarks at the NDIA event, Shyu said she sees opportunities to leverage innovation from Australia industry and notes she has established a “classified umbrella” with Australia officials to “share classified information back and forth.”
“It literally enhances our speed of sharing information back and achieving some of our goals,” Shyu said.
Adm. Mike Gilday, who recently retired as Chief of Naval Operations, said in late June there is “huge potential” for other nations to participate in AUKUS Pillar Two, when asked about opportunities for countries such as New Zealand, South Korea and France to contribute to technology development initiatives (Defense Daily, June 28).
“I think there’s huge potential to do that in selected areas. I think that’s where I would have began, instead of wholesale, you know, inviting nations to Pillar Two, I would look at certain areas where nations bring technology to bear that is going to make a difference, and that we have high trust and confidence that we can share that information back and forth,” Gilday said at the time.