US, UK and Australia to develop underwater drone technology

The US, UK and Australia say they will develop underwater drone technology to protect undersea cables and boost defence, under their military alliance known as Aukus.

The uncrewed undersea vehicle (UUV) technology is expected to be ready by next year. While the project's total cost was not stated, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said his nation would contribute £150m ($201m).

The announcement, made by the countries' defence ministers at a security summit in Singapore, follows claims of slow progress in Aukus's projects.

Acknowledging the criticism, Healey said "for too long in Aukus, we talked too much and delivered too little", adding "that has now changed under our three governments".

The Aukus defence pact, which began in 2021, affirmed the three countries would develop nuclear submarines and share military expertise.

It is widely seen as a way to counter China's growing maritime presence in the Indo-Pacific and its role in rising tensions in disputed territories such as the South China Sea.

The UUV technology is the first signature project under Aukus's Pillar Two, in which the partner countries work together on "advanced capabilities" in areas such as long-range hypersonic missiles, undersea robotics and AI.

A joint statement said the new project would see "cutting edge payloads and enabling systems" developed for UUVs that could protect seabed infrastructure, conduct strikes, and conduct surveillance, reconnaissance and logistics operations.

Healey also said that sensors and weapons systems would be developed for the UUVs, which would "rapidly give our forces advanced battle technologies".

It would also help them deal with threats "including to our underwater cables and pipelines on which so much of our daily life depends". Such efforts would strengthen deterrence in the Pacific, Atlantic and waters in the High North, he added.

The announcement comes a month after Healey accused Russia of running a covert operation over cables and pipelines in waters north of the UK. Moscow has denied the allegations.

In December, the UK and Norway signed a pact to hunt Russian submarines in the North Atlantic to protect undersea cables.

The UK is connected by about 60 undersea cables, which British officials say are increasingly under threat from Moscow, with a 30% rise in Russian vessels spotted in UK waters over the past few years.

Elsewhere, Chinese ships are suspected to have damaged undersea cables in waters surrounding Taiwan and in Swedish territory.

There have also been multiple reports of cables damaged in the Baltic Sea.

On Saturday, the