New deal to make AUKUS cooperation easier
Concept of potential AUKUS SSN. (Image: Crown Copyright)
The AUKUS agreement will support Australia’s purchase of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines under pillar one. Other pillars of the agreement cover high technology such as cyber, unmanned systems, AI, EW, undersea capabilities and information sharing between the three countries.
The US has improved access to its equipment and technology for AUKUS partner countries Australia and the UK by reducing licensing requirements and providing exemptions within export control systems.
On 21 April, the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) released an “interim final rule significantly reducing licensing requirements for Australia and the UK to foster defence trade and technological innovation”.
Partner countries welcomed the passage of the FY24 US National Defense Authorization Act, and legislation passed in the Australian and UK parliaments.
A US State Department spokesperson said: “Exemptions in our export control systems, within a framework of shared standards with Australia and the UK, are key to harnessing and maximizing the innovative power residing in our defence industrial bases.
“Industry, research communities and academic institutions should take full advantage of this innovation-spurring ecosystem.”
The agreement will be expected to be finalised over the next four months.
The reforms will make it easier for public and private sector security institutions to create a more integrated defence industrial base and identify new opportunities for trilateral capability development.
In a separate statement, the UK MoD said the agreement would significantly reduce licensing requirements for both “the UK and Australia and enable the closest possible collaboration between our scientists and engineers and our defence industries as a sector”.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![UK Royal Navy shifts focus from warships to system-led warfare]()
UK Royal Navy shifts focus from warships to system-led warfare
With a revised Defence Investment Plan on the way ahead of the upcoming NATO Summit on 7-8 July, the UK government has begun to reveal more details of how its future naval fleet could look.
-
![Funding for the future US Navy Trump-class battleship sparks controversy in Congress]()
Funding for the future US Navy Trump-class battleship sparks controversy in Congress
Lawmakers question the US Navy’s proposed $2 billion investment in the Trump-class battleship as concerns over cost, technology maturity and operational relevance fuel growing bipartisan scrutiny on Capitol Hill.
-
![Germany sinks F126 frigate programme in favour of cheaper MEKO A-200]()
Germany sinks F126 frigate programme in favour of cheaper MEKO A-200
On 24 June 2026, the German Ministry of Defence announced it was cancelling the F126 frigate programme in favour of procuring eight MEKO A-200 DEU frigates.
-
![UK’s Type 31 frigate balances cost pressure with long-term export ambition]()
UK’s Type 31 frigate balances cost pressure with long-term export ambition
The UK shipbuilder’s full-year results to the end of March revealed the impact of the £140 million charge linked to design changes and rework on the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigate programme.
-
![US Navy expands non-standard acquisitions to rapidly field emerging technologies]()
US Navy expands non-standard acquisitions to rapidly field emerging technologies
The US Navy is increasing the use of OTA obligations to accelerate the procurement of seabed-subsea, littoral, expeditionary and uncrewed solutions.
-
![Can Portugal solve NATO’s uncrewed systems development challenge?]()
Can Portugal solve NATO’s uncrewed systems development challenge?
NATO has spent more than a decade building one of the world’s most sophisticated maritime uncrewed experimentation ecosystems, but still lacks a way to translate this testing into alliance-wide operational capability. Portugal now believes it has the answer.
