WASHINGTON \u2014 Most of the talk to date about the American, Australian and British submarine pact known as AUKUS has focused on what\u2019s known as Pillar I, the sprint to supply Australia with its own nuclear-powered submarine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The partnership\u2019s second pillar, centered on advanced technology such as hypersonic missiles and quantum computing, seemed further away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is now changing, according to the Pentagon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin <\/b>on Friday held an encore AUKUS summit with his counterparts from Australia and the United Kingdom with an agenda squarely focused on Pillar II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAgain and again, AUKUS proves that we are stronger together, and every day, we move closer to our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific,\u201d Austin said at a press briefing following the summit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said Friday\u2019s meeting will one day be viewed as critical and \u201ca watershed in the progress of Pillar II of AUKUS.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAUKUS represents a powerful combination of countries working together, which is sending a really important message to the world,\u201d Marles said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the meeting at the Defense Innovation Unit in in Mountain View, California \u2014 the Pentagon\u2019s innovation arm \u2014 the three countries\u2019 message was, in part, that the second pillar is made of more than aspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In doing so, they announced a host of efforts <\/b>seeking to bolster both high-tech capabilities and the industry that might provide it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, the AUKUS countries will hold a series of joint maritime drone exercises, meant to deliver such platforms faster, better sync each other\u2019s systems and allow the companies participating in them to showcase their offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking with reporters before Friday\u2019s meeting, a senior defense official wouldn\u2019t specify the number and kind of systems that will feature \u2014 but mentioned U.S. Central Command\u2019s Task Force 59, which experiments with naval drones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Second, the AUKUS countries will begin a \u201cprize challenge\u201d led by the Defense Innovation Unit in which American, Australian and British companies can compete for a reward \u2014 something like \u201cShark Tank\u201d for weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The inaugural topic will be electronic warfare, which the official said was chosen because it aligns well with the three countries\u2019 national defense strategies. The official wouldn\u2019t specify the dollar amount at play or how often the challenges may occur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Austin said at the conference the first electronic warfare challenge will begin in early 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, the three countries will host an AUKUS industry forum in the first half of next year focused on Pillar II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lastly, Austin and his counterparts discussed progress on specific capabilities, including the testing and deployment of shared AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As an example, the senior defense official cited buoys operated by AUKUS countries in the Indo-Pacific, which scan below the sea for enemy systems. These sensors relay data to aircraft flying above, such as P-8 maritime patrol aircraft. America, Australia and the U.K. have been testing and deploying AI algorithms that will allow each country to process data sent from each other\u2019s buoys, allowing them to better hunt enemy submarines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The official wouldn\u2019t give an exact timeframe for the platform to become operational, only saying it was a \u201cshort-term\u201d capability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marles said at the briefing the technological advancements the three nations are hoping to make under AUKUS \u2014 particularly resilient precision targeting, maritime drones, and technology allowing faster decisions on the battlefield \u2014 will be especially important for Australia, given its status as an island nation and its distance from other parts of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur needs lie in maritime capabilities, but longer-range capabilities … that allow us to project,\u201d Marles said. \u201cWhen we look at the technologies that we are working on as three countries, they are highly relevant to the specific needs of the Australian Defence Force.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the announcements, AUKUS Pillar II <\/b>faces challenges, the official acknowledged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most troublesome, perhaps, is America\u2019s International Traffic in Arms Regulations, which tightly controls defense exports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n