UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, gave a keynote speech on AUKUS at a conference on “The Future of Defence in Western Australia” in Perth.
Thank you, Rebecca, for your kind introduction.
Firstly, I acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Whadjuk Noongar people, and I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.
I am delighted to join you all today – my fourth trip to Australia this year, and my third to Perth.
It is not the beauty of this vibrant city, and its wonderful climate, that keep bringing me back. Although my friend Stephen Smith, Australia’s High Commissioner to the UK and fiercely proud former Federal Member for Perth, often teases me that it is!
The role of Western Australia in delivering AUKUS
The reason I keep coming back is Perth’s significance to AUKUS as the future home of Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine fleet. And, as you welcomed USS North Carolina into port in August, it was clear for all to see that the ‘Optimal Pathway’ is well underway.
I know Rear Admiral Simon Asquith felt privileged to represent the UK at that historic milestone. And we look forward to joining our American colleagues here more frequently from 2026, as our fleet of Astute class nuclear-powered submarines visits more regularly, to strengthen our naval partnership.
The visit of USS North Carolina was a major step forward in a long journey towards seeing SSN-AUKUS become reality.
As you know, taking on a nuclear-powered fleet is an enormous endeavour, and Western Australia has a critical role to play in delivering this next generation of submarines, and the workforce to support them. That is why I, and the UK Government, will continue to do all we can to support you.
During this visit, I am meeting leaders from Defence West, the Australian Submarine Agency, and Curtin University’s new AUKUS Workforce Alliance.
We have hosted Western Australian leaders in the UK, including the Honourable Paul Papalia, to share our knowledge and discuss opportunities. And, of course, it’s not all about submarines.
I’ve seen for myself the expertise and advanced capabilities within Western Australia’s defence sector.
From cyber to AI to remote operations, this region is well-positioned to do well from AUKUS Pillar Two. And from increasing collaboration with your UK and US counterparts.
Last week, AUKUS Defence Ministers made a series of major announcements on Pillar Two that will make us stronger and create lots of opportunities for our defence industries.
A series of joint exercises will improve our ability to offset an opponent’s advantage, and increase the sophistication and impact of our autonomous naval systems.
We will accelerate the development of quantum technologies for positioning, navigation, and timing in military capabilities. This will bolster the resilience of our forces in the most challenging environments, and enhance stealth in undersea capabilities, which will also support SSN-AUKUS.
We will collaborate on the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability programme, which will use sites in all three countries to help identify emerging threats in space.
And finally, we are working on cyber security with critical suppliers to the naval supply chain, which will give us greater insight into the threats to AUKUS and how to address them.
The progress we are making proves that pooling resources and expertise, and focussing on interoperability, makes us stronger than we can be alone.
The rationale for AUKUS
AUKUS is a security partnership of global significance.
Events in Israel and Gaza, and Russia’s continuing attack against Ukraine, remind us how events far from our shores, can reverberate at home, with implications for our security, our economy, and our society.
The UK government is under no illusion about the risks to global economic security if stability in the Indo-Pacific is shattered.
As an island nation and a global trading power, like Australia, the UK depends on open shipping routes and unimpeded sea lanes. So, the security of Indo-Pacific waters has a direct impact on my constituents as well as households across the UK and across the world.
That is one of the many reasons why we recommitted to support a free and open Indo-Pacific in our foreign and defence policy refresh.
AUKUS is the UK’s biggest investment in the stability of the Indo-Pacific, and broader global security, for half a century.
Its positive impact will be felt in the region, in our relationships with two of our oldest and closest allies – but also across defence, industry and academia in all three partner countries.
The delivery of AUKUS
AUKUS has global significance. But its impacts are also in our local communities. AUKUS will be delivered by Australian, British, and American workers. It will create and sustain thousands of jobs, and boost industrial heartlands.
The submarine component will bring together world-leading British design, with the very best technology, skills and industrial heft from all three partners.
A few weeks ago, our Defence Secretary announced contracts worth £4bn to design and manufacture the first components. Rolls Royce is significantly expanding its nuclear reactor manufacturing site in Derby.
And workers from Australia have embedded themselves with UK counterparts, and are learning from the best and brightest in our defence industry.
The challenge
The scale and ambition of AUKUS is exciting for the defence industry. But at a time of heightened demand from Ukraine and Israel, and from other states who are bolstering their defences in light of Putin’s aggression, it will test the capability and capacity of defence sectors in all three partner nations.
So, we must work together to build the next generations of designers, project managers, engineers, welders, and technicians. As well as the nuclear, cyber and digital experts, who will play a vital role in delivering AUKUS.
These jobs demand unique skills and qualifications. Some require years of training. Developing the required workforce growth, without draining any of our skills bases, needs planning and investment.
We also need to ensure our people can move easily between the three countries, to enable them to exchange knowledge, skills and experience.
AUKUS is a multi-generational as well as multinational endeavour, which will require us to adapt in order to continue to pull in the same direction.
For the partnership to work to best effect, we need to ensure legal and regulatory frameworks are complementary. US ITAR controls, for example, cost UK industry £460 million a year. We must navigate a path through export control regimes, so our industries can work more closely together.
The solution
AUKUS is already changing how we work together, and we are working to overcome the challenges that arise from it.
In the UK we are investing in our new Nuclear Skills Taskforce, to boost the capacity of the sector.
We have appointed a cross-government Director-General of AUKUS, to provide leadership and enhance coordination.
We are acting trilaterally to ramp up our engagement with industry.
Last week we committed to launch a series of AUKUS innovation challenges for companies in various relevant fields. We will roll out the first in early 2024, focussing on electronic warfare.
We have also established an AUKUS Defence Industry Forum, which will bring together governments and industry from all three countries to help drive forward delivery of advanced capabilities.
We have initiated the AUKUS Defence Investors Network to strengthen financing.
And we are working to break down barriers to the sharing of information and technology. Including reforms to exempt the UK and Australia from some of the most stringent US export controls.
Conclusion
To conclude, the scale of our AUKUS ambition is vast, and there are enormous opportunities for government and industry.
Delivering across both Pillars of the partnership will be an exceptionally complex challenge. But it is a challenge we can overcome by working together.
I welcome conversations like this. I encourage you to tell me what we can do to deliver our shared ambitions for AUKUS, drawing on the rich talents of the people and businesses of Western Australia.
Thank you.
