Australia-UK-US Security Pact Looks To Expand Into Aerospace

Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom are regarded as three of the most natural and historic allies. As the world enters a new era of Great Power Competition, the three recently created the AUKUS security alliance centered around procuring nuclear-powered submarines for Australia. Now, the three countries seek to build on that partnership and expand their focus beyond the submarine realm and into aerospace. Concurrently, the US Air Force is dramatically expanding airmen exchange programs with Australia and wants to extend that to the UK, Canada, and New Zealand.

AUKUS to build on subs with aerospace collaboration

AUKUS was founded in 2021 with the mission to “promote a free and open Indo-Pacific that is secure and stable.” To that end, the UK and US will assist Australia to eventually acquire nuclear-powered attack submarines. Additionally, the agreement includes the collaborative development of advanced technologies and the rotational deployment of British and American submarines in Australia.

AUKUS Forum stated on LinkedIn, “There will be submarines, but so much more.” AUKUS Forum is a non-profit organization that doesn’t officially represent the group but does have some formerly high-ranking officials (including Australia’s former defense minister).

The three AUKUS countries seek to break down the barriers to collaboration and create a more integrated defense industrial base. The alliance is about more than just the subs; it includes hypersonic missile development, quantum technologies, AI, and more. In August, the US took another step in dropping licensing restrictions on exports of up to 70% of defense technologies to Australia (a major step to cut red tape).

AUKUS Form CEO visits Bell & other US industries

The AUKUS Form LinkedIn post says AUKUS Forum chief executive Michael Sharpe visited the headquarters of defense helicopter contractor Bell in Texas in August. The visit was intended to “build collaboration with the US industrial base.” It states, “The AUKUS delegation met with executives at Bell Flight and inspected the Bell Manufacturing Technology Center (MTC) in Fort Worth, Texas.”

Bell is developing the US Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) tiltrotor (formerly the V280 Valor). The first limited user tests for the tiltrotor are planned for 2027 to 2028, and it is expected to first enter service around 2031. FlightGlobal notes the visit: “While the talks raise the intriguing prospect of Australia signing on the FLRAA programme alongside the US Army, discussions may more likely be focused on best practices in modern defence manufacturing.”

FlightGlobal says Sharpe is an “Australian business magnate with ties to many industries, including agriculture, energy, defence and aerospace. He is listed as chairman of the Sharpe Family Office, an advisory firm advertising consulting and capital-fundraising services in Australia.” His trip to the United States will last several weeks and will focus on “aerospace, defence vehicle manufacturing, and more.”

Australia is currently receiving 40 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawks, and the Australian Navy will receive 12 Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawks starting next year. All of Australia’s combat jets are of American origin. Australia has also recently concluded its largest-ever Air Force exercise, with a record number of allied and partner nations participating.