Australia, UK Sign 50-Year Defense Pact Under AUKUS Submarine Deal

Australia and the United Kingdom have signed a landmark treaty to deepen defense cooperation for the next 50 years, as part of the AUKUS pact, which focuses on nuclear-powered submarines.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles announced the bilateral treaty on Saturday following a meeting with his British counterpart, John Healey, in Geelong, Victoria.

The new agreement, known as the Geelong Treaty, establishes long-term collaboration on the design, construction, operation, and sustainment of the next-generation SSN-AUKUS submarines.

The treaty marks a major milestone in the AUKUS partnership, a trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States formed in 2021.

The goal of the agreement is to equip Canberra with advanced nuclear-powered attack submarines to counter growing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

According to the joint statement, the agreement is a formal commitment to 50 years of bilateral defense cooperation between the UK and Australia under the AUKUS framework, and builds on the strong foundations already laid through the trilateral pact.

The UK Ministry of Defense stated earlier this week that the treaty will bolster allied submarine programs, with British exports under the deal expected to reach £20 billion (about $27.1 billion) over the next 25 years.

AUKUS is the most ambitious defense project in Australia's history. The country has pledged to invest A\$368 billion over three decades into the program, which includes multi-billion-dollar contributions to US defense manufacturing bases. 

This month, Australia made its second payment of $800 million to the United States as part of the initiative, reaffirming its commitment to the deal.