Aukus countries expand cooperation in the Pacific

TT

Published 15.21

 

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a military conference in Singapore – known as Shangri-La – on Saturday. Photo: Achmad Ibrahim /AP/TT

The defense ministers of the trilateral military alliance Aukus agree on expanded and joint operations in the Pacific.

The initiative is to “secure our collective advantage in the maritime domain,” said US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth together with his colleagues from Australia and the United Kingdom in connection with a meeting in Singapore.

Cooperation within Aukus began in 2023 with a joint investment in submarines in the Pacific, and Australia then announced the purchase of submarines from the United States.

Hegseth said on Saturday that phase two of the cooperation will begin with the joint development of logistical and technological support for unmanned underwater vehicles.

Auku's goal is for the Pacific Ocean to be "free and open," in a clear signal of China's expanding power ambitions in the region.