iscover
Now former UK defence secretary John Healey has used one of his final official press conferences, alongside his Australian counterpart, to confirm a significant milestone for the SSN-AUKUS program as concerns about the program continue to surface.
The 2026 Australia–UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) meeting underscored the continued deepening of the Australia–UK defence partnership, with ministers from both nations welcoming a relationship that is growing in both breadth and operational substance. The deployment of the British Carrier Strike Group to Australia for Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 was highlighted as a tangible demonstration of the UK’s sustained commitment to regional security and its persistent military presence in the Indo-Pacific.
Ministers emphasised the importance of maintaining and building on that interoperability through continued joint exercises and operational engagement.
On the industrial side, the reinvigoration of the Australia-UK Defence Industry Dialogue earlier in 2026 was celebrated as a significant step forward. The first meeting under the renewed framework, held in February, reaffirmed both nations’ commitment to deepening industrial collaboration, accelerating technology and equipment sharing, and delivering advanced defence capabilities.
The dialogue committed to reforms targeting sovereign industrial capacity and interoperability, with concrete cooperation progressing on active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar technology, including Australia’s CEAFAR radar family, MQ-28A Ghost Bat testing and demonstrations, resilient supply chain development, and joint research efforts.
Secretary Healey detailed the new point of collaboration including the CEAFAR radar suite, telling reporters: “Today we agreed new cooperation on radar technology, the Australian CEA Technologies has some of the very best radar technology anywhere in the world. We want to test that with our UK forces, we want to help develop that with Australia, we want to help produce that so it can be deployed more widely.”
AUKUS Submarine Program (Pillar 1)
The ministers were unequivocal in reaffirming that the AUKUS partnership remains on track and continues to deliver against its ambitious objectives. Following the recent AUKUS Defence Ministers’ meeting in Singapore, all three partners confirmed progress across both pillars of the partnership, with finalisation of arrangements to establish Submarine Rotational Force – West (SRF-West) in 2027 among the headline outcomes.
Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles, said: “We were really pleased to have HMS Anson, the UK Astute Class submarine, undertake a significant maintenance package at HMAS Stirling. And the future opportunity for the UK to use the Submarine Rotational Force ‑ West will greatly add to both deterrence and balance in the Indo-Pacific.”
A particularly significant milestone was the visit of the UK nuclear-powered submarine HMS Anson to Western Australia for a scheduled submarine maintenance period, the first time a UK nuclear-powered submarine has undergone maintenance on Australian soil.
The activity was more than symbolic. Seventeen Australian businesses supported the maintenance, 34 locally manufactured components were produced, and over 2,500 person-hours of Australian industry work were completed alongside 620 hours of trilateral uniformed work. The ministers noted the activity was conducted in full accordance with non-proliferation and safeguards obligations, reinforcing AUKUS partners’ collective commitment to setting the highest possible standard in that regard.
On SSN-AUKUS, ministers acknowledged significant progress in the design phase and confirmed delivery remains on track. The platform, based on the UK’s next-generation design and incorporating technology from all three nations, is expected to deliver a generational leap in underwater capability across intelligence, surveillance, undersea warfare and strike missions.
Former UK defence secretary Healey told reporters: “Next year we will also cut steel in Barrow for our first AUKUS submarine with the engines already in build in Derby. So, both as AUKUS partners and as bilateral partners, UK and Australia, we’re delivering together for our countries’ security.”
The Deputy Prime Minister reinforced this milestone, saying, “In respect of the construction of the SSN‑AUKUS, the Osborne Naval Shipyard is on track and as John has just said, we will see the cutting of steel here in the UK next year for the building of the first UK SSN‑AUKUS.”
Underpinning this progress are major capital commitments: Australia’s $3.9 billion down payment for the new Osborne Nuclear-Powered Submarine Construction Yard in South Australia and the UK’s £6 billion investment to uplift submarine building infrastructure at Rolls-Royce Submarines in Derby and BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness.
AUKUS advanced capabilities (Pillar 2)
Pillar 2 delivered several landmark outcomes at AUKMIN. The ministers welcomed the agreement of the first AUKUS Pillar 2 Signature Project, focused on developing cutting-edge payloads and enabling systems for uncrewed undersea vehicles (UUV), with first capabilities targeted for delivery in 2027. The project was described as strategically significant for enhancing warfighting readiness and strengthening the operational edge of all three partners in an increasingly contested undersea domain.
Healey said: “Richard and I, two weeks ago, were together in Singapore with Pete Hegseth, and we signed a breakthrough agreement, a first ever project under Pillar 2 of AUKUS. We will produce together sensors and weapons for our undersea drones that can be used by all three nations. We will have those in the hands of our warfighters from next year.”
Beyond UUVs, Pillar 2’s progress over the past year has been substantial. The first hypersonic test flight was conducted under the AUKUS Hypersonic Flight Test and Experimentation (HyFliTE) Project Arrangement, testing key equipment and de-risking future flights planned for 2026. AUKUS-designed AI algorithms were deployed aboard an Australian P-8A Maritime Patrol Aircraft for the first time, enabling faster processing of undersea data from partner sonobuoys.
Command-and-control scenarios for uncrewed systems were also tested at Exercise REPMUS, laying the groundwork for interoperable technology in future operations.
Workforce, supply chain and industrial capacity
Recognising that capability delivery ultimately depends on people and industry as the ministers placed considerable emphasis on workforce development and supply chain resilience. Education, training and embedment opportunities across government, military and industry are already growing the nuclear-qualified skills base in both countries.
A new AUKUS fellowship was announced, establishing three-month rotations for students in nuclear science and related fields described as a first of its kind. On supply chains, targeted AUKUS initiatives are generating contracts for up to 40 Australian suppliers valued at approximately £8.5 million, with both nations committed to accelerating collaboration and enhancing workforce mobility to maximise mutual benefit.
Space, emerging technologies and broader frameworks
The ministers agreed to strengthen space domain awareness collaboration through expanded data sharing, improved interoperability and joint analytical work while committing to investigate further opportunities in neuromorphic sensors, multi-phenomenology sensing and fusion, and long-baseline multistatic radar.
A government-to-government project arrangement was also formalised to advance AESA radar collaboration with Canberra-based CEA Technologies, with co-development and co-production identified as potential pathways. Both nations reaffirmed their investment in the Five Power Defence Arrangements as a constructive regional mechanism and committed to closer collaboration on veteran support and recognition.
The Deputy Prime Minister expanded on this, saying, “We have also announced today that our two governments have signed an agreement in respect of the potential use of the active electronic scan array radar, which is developed by CEA in Australia. This is technology of the highest order. It is the best phased array radar that exists in the world today. It is on a whole lot of Australian platforms, but it’s also being exported to the United States and the significance of the agreement that has been signed by our two governments is that it opens up the opportunity for the second export of this technology, which in turn gives rise to a real prospect for much greater markets here for this technology.”
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?
Make Defence Connect a preferred news source on Google.
Click here to add Defence Connect as a preferred news source.