AUKUS members will cooperate on hypersonic weapons and defenses

The US-UK-Australia Defense Partnership statement noted that AUKUS remains "unwaveringly committed to an international system that respects human rights"

Members of the US-UK-Australian defense partnership AUKUS have announced cooperation in the development of hypersonic weapons and defenses, as well as strengthening cooperation in the cyber sphere. This is stated in a joint statement by the three countries released on Tuesday by the British government.

“Today, we also agreed to initiate new trilateral cooperation on hypersonic and anti-hypersonic weapons, electronic warfare, as well as to expand the exchange of information and deepen cooperation in the field of defense innovation,” the document says. “These initiatives will complement existing efforts to strengthen cooperation in the areas of cybernetic capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and additional subsea capabilities.As our work in these and other key areas in the field of defense and security moves forward, we will look for opportunities to attract allies and close partners to cooperate."

The statement also noted that AUKUS remains "unwaveringly committed to an international system that respects human rights, the rule of law and the peaceful, non-coercive resolution of disputes" in light of Russia's "illegal invasion" of Ukraine.

As the British newspaper Financial Times previously reported, the new AUKUS program could be directed against China, which, according to the Pentagon, is significantly ahead of the West in the development of hypersonic weapons systems. The fact that the UK will start developing hypersonic weapons was previously announced by the country's chief of defense staff, Tony Radakin. He linked this step with the growing military potential of Russia in this area.

The creation of a partnership of three countries in the field of security was announced in September last year. As part of the agreement then signed, Australia plans to build at least eight nuclear submarines with the help of American and British technology, the first of which will enter service in 2036, as well as re-equip its armed forces with American cruise missiles. The PRC then warned that the creation of AUKUS would aggravate the arms race, and called on the members of the alliance to abandon the "mentality of the Cold War era" and "narrow-minded geopolitical concepts."