'Anchor in a volatile world': Australia, UK draw closer
A 50-year treaty to underpin the AUKUS security pact will be signed in Geelong on Saturday following talks hosted by Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles for their UK counterparts in Sydney.
The AUKUS security partnership involves the US, UK and Australia, but the fresh treaty is only between London and Canberra.
The treaty shows the UK and Australia are strengthening ties in the face of the Pentagon's yet-to-be-completed AUKUS review.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy described talks with the Albanese government as "focused and constructive".
"It's clear that the UK, Australia relationship is an anchor in what is a very volatile world, providing stability in troubled waters and a relationship that holds steady whichever way the geopolitical winds are blowing," he said.
Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK's commitment to Australia was "absolute".
Mr Healey said his government had taken steps to ensure capacity for the planned SSN-AUKUS class submarines.
"We have made a commitment ... in making sure that we have the productive capacity, we have the technology and the designs to be able to deliver our commitments to the SSN-AUKUS and we will," he said.
The new boats will be built in Adelaide and delivered in the 2040s.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the inking of the deal would underpin the development of AUKUS.
The bilateral treaty will facilitate greater economic co-operation between the two nations by improving both countries' industrial capacity.
As part of the existing defence agreement, Australia will pay $5 billion to support British industry to design and produce nuclear reactors to power the future AUKUS-class submarines.
Australia is set to be sold least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s under the $368 billion AUKUS submarine program.
But the planned sale of US-built boats has been up in the air since the Trump administration launched a review of the deal to examine whether it aligns with his "America first" agenda.
Defence analysts believe a likely outcome of the US review will be a request for more money from Australia to support its submarine industrial base.
The UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales, arrived in Darwin on Wednesday as Australia hosts Exercise Talisman Sabre.
It's the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997.
The international task group includes five core ships, 24 jets and 17 helicopters, centred on the flagship aircraft carrier.
Mr Lammy said the deployment of British troops to the region was a signal of its determination to keep the Indo-Pacific free and open.
Mr Marles and Senator Wong will join their UK counterparts in Darwin on Sunday to observe the strike group in action.
The UK has declared its ties to Australia are "absolute", vowing it will deliver on its defence commitments as doubt grows over the reliability of the US.
A 50-year treaty to underpin the AUKUS security pact will be signed in Geelong on Saturday following talks hosted by Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles for their UK counterparts in Sydney.
The AUKUS security partnership involves the US, UK and Australia, but the fresh treaty is only between London and Canberra.
The treaty shows the UK and Australia are strengthening ties in the face of the Pentagon's yet-to-be-completed AUKUS review.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy described talks with the Albanese government as "focused and constructive".
"It's clear that the UK, Australia relationship is an anchor in what is a very volatile world, providing stability in troubled waters and a relationship that holds steady whichever way the geopolitical winds are blowing," he said.
Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK's commitment to Australia was "absolute".
Mr Healey said his government had taken steps to ensure capacity for the planned SSN-AUKUS class submarines.
"We have made a commitment ... in making sure that we have the productive capacity, we have the technology and the designs to be able to deliver our commitments to the SSN-AUKUS and we will," he said.
The new boats will be built in Adelaide and delivered in the 2040s.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the inking of the deal would underpin the development of AUKUS.
The bilateral treaty will facilitate greater economic co-operation between the two nations by improving both countries' industrial capacity.
As part of the existing defence agreement, Australia will pay $5 billion to support British industry to design and produce nuclear reactors to power the future AUKUS-class submarines.
Australia is set to be sold least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s under the $368 billion AUKUS submarine program.
But the planned sale of US-built boats has been up in the air since the Trump administration launched a review of the deal to examine whether it aligns with his "America first" agenda.
Defence analysts believe a likely outcome of the US review will be a request for more money from Australia to support its submarine industrial base.
The UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales, arrived in Darwin on Wednesday as Australia hosts Exercise Talisman Sabre.
It's the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997.
The international task group includes five core ships, 24 jets and 17 helicopters, centred on the flagship aircraft carrier.
Mr Lammy said the deployment of British troops to the region was a signal of its determination to keep the Indo-Pacific free and open.
Mr Marles and Senator Wong will join their UK counterparts in Darwin on Sunday to observe the strike group in action.
The UK has declared its ties to Australia are "absolute", vowing it will deliver on its defence commitments as doubt grows over the reliability of the US.
A 50-year treaty to underpin the AUKUS security pact will be signed in Geelong on Saturday following talks hosted by Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles for their UK counterparts in Sydney.
The AUKUS security partnership involves the US, UK and Australia, but the fresh treaty is only between London and Canberra.
The treaty shows the UK and Australia are strengthening ties in the face of the Pentagon's yet-to-be-completed AUKUS review.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy described talks with the Albanese government as "focused and constructive".
"It's clear that the UK, Australia relationship is an anchor in what is a very volatile world, providing stability in troubled waters and a relationship that holds steady whichever way the geopolitical winds are blowing," he said.
Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK's commitment to Australia was "absolute".
Mr Healey said his government had taken steps to ensure capacity for the planned SSN-AUKUS class submarines.
"We have made a commitment ... in making sure that we have the productive capacity, we have the technology and the designs to be able to deliver our commitments to the SSN-AUKUS and we will," he said.
The new boats will be built in Adelaide and delivered in the 2040s.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the inking of the deal would underpin the development of AUKUS.
The bilateral treaty will facilitate greater economic co-operation between the two nations by improving both countries' industrial capacity.
As part of the existing defence agreement, Australia will pay $5 billion to support British industry to design and produce nuclear reactors to power the future AUKUS-class submarines.
Australia is set to be sold least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s under the $368 billion AUKUS submarine program.
But the planned sale of US-built boats has been up in the air since the Trump administration launched a review of the deal to examine whether it aligns with his "America first" agenda.
Defence analysts believe a likely outcome of the US review will be a request for more money from Australia to support its submarine industrial base.
The UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales, arrived in Darwin on Wednesday as Australia hosts Exercise Talisman Sabre.
It's the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997.
The international task group includes five core ships, 24 jets and 17 helicopters, centred on the flagship aircraft carrier.
Mr Lammy said the deployment of British troops to the region was a signal of its determination to keep the Indo-Pacific free and open.
Mr Marles and Senator Wong will join their UK counterparts in Darwin on Sunday to observe the strike group in action.
The UK has declared its ties to Australia are "absolute", vowing it will deliver on its defence commitments as doubt grows over the reliability of the US.
A 50-year treaty to underpin the AUKUS security pact will be signed in Geelong on Saturday following talks hosted by Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles for their UK counterparts in Sydney.
The AUKUS security partnership involves the US, UK and Australia, but the fresh treaty is only between London and Canberra.
The treaty shows the UK and Australia are strengthening ties in the face of the Pentagon's yet-to-be-completed AUKUS review.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy described talks with the Albanese government as "focused and constructive".
"It's clear that the UK, Australia relationship is an anchor in what is a very volatile world, providing stability in troubled waters and a relationship that holds steady whichever way the geopolitical winds are blowing," he said.
Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK's commitment to Australia was "absolute".
Mr Healey said his government had taken steps to ensure capacity for the planned SSN-AUKUS class submarines.
"We have made a commitment ... in making sure that we have the productive capacity, we have the technology and the designs to be able to deliver our commitments to the SSN-AUKUS and we will," he said.
The new boats will be built in Adelaide and delivered in the 2040s.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the inking of the deal would underpin the development of AUKUS.
The bilateral treaty will facilitate greater economic co-operation between the two nations by improving both countries' industrial capacity.
As part of the existing defence agreement, Australia will pay $5 billion to support British industry to design and produce nuclear reactors to power the future AUKUS-class submarines.
Australia is set to be sold least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s under the $368 billion AUKUS submarine program.
But the planned sale of US-built boats has been up in the air since the Trump administration launched a review of the deal to examine whether it aligns with his "America first" agenda.
Defence analysts believe a likely outcome of the US review will be a request for more money from Australia to support its submarine industrial base.
The UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales, arrived in Darwin on Wednesday as Australia hosts Exercise Talisman Sabre.
It's the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997.
The international task group includes five core ships, 24 jets and 17 helicopters, centred on the flagship aircraft carrier.
Mr Lammy said the deployment of British troops to the region was a signal of its determination to keep the Indo-Pacific free and open.
Mr Marles and Senator Wong will join their UK counterparts in Darwin on Sunday to observe the strike group in action.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
6 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Ads on TikTok and video games drive 15-year surge in defence force enrolment
Advertising on computer games and social media platforms like TikTok has helped drive the biggest surge in Defence Force recruitment in 15 years, a major turnaround that the federal government says has put the military on track to achieve ambitious growth targets. The Australian Defence Force has been plagued by a recruitment and retention crisis in recent years, but in the past financial year, the military enlisted 7059 permanent personnel, the highest annual intake since 2009. The full-time ADF workforce has now reached 61,189, slightly below its authorised strength of 62,700 permanent members but significantly up on previous estimates. More than 75,000 people applied to join the ADF in the past year, the highest number in five years and a 28 per cent increase on the previous year. Loading Defence Minister Richard Marles said the military was now on track to reach a target of 69,000 personnel by the early 2030s. 'In 2025, the ADF is now growing again for the first time in almost four years,' Marles said. 'While there is much more work to do, we are confident these positive trends will continue.' Under the previous Coalition government, the ADF grew by 2000 people over nine years in office, he said.
The Age
6 minutes ago
- The Age
Ads on TikTok and video games drive 15-year surge in defence force enrolment
Advertising on computer games and social media platforms like TikTok has helped drive the biggest surge in Defence Force recruitment in 15 years, a major turnaround that the federal government says has put the military on track to achieve ambitious growth targets. The Australian Defence Force has been plagued by a recruitment and retention crisis in recent years, but in the past financial year, the military enlisted 7059 permanent personnel, the highest annual intake since 2009. The full-time ADF workforce has now reached 61,189, slightly below its authorised strength of 62,700 permanent members but significantly up on previous estimates. More than 75,000 people applied to join the ADF in the past year, the highest number in five years and a 28 per cent increase on the previous year. Loading Defence Minister Richard Marles said the military was now on track to reach a target of 69,000 personnel by the early 2030s. 'In 2025, the ADF is now growing again for the first time in almost four years,' Marles said. 'While there is much more work to do, we are confident these positive trends will continue.' Under the previous Coalition government, the ADF grew by 2000 people over nine years in office, he said.
Sky News AU
18 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
Russia, China hold artillery and anti-submarine drills off Japanese coast after Trump warns 'highly provocative' Kremlin
Russia and China are holding military drills in the Sea of Japan days after United States President deployed nuclear submarines in response to comments from former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. Mr Medvedev, who now acts as the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, has made a series of inflammatory statements following President Trump's demand the Kremlin negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine. The former Russian president initially dismissed the original, 90-day deadline as a "theatrical ultimatum", but later lashed out following the US President's move to shorten the window. In a series of social media posts, Mr Medvedev appeared to reference Russia's nuclear retaliation protocols and claimed President Trump's demands were "a step towards war". As tensions between the two nations escalate, Russian forces joined forces with their Chinese counterparts on Sunday to carry out scheduled joint exercises. News agency Interfax quoted the Russian Pacific Fleet as Russian and Chinese vessels were moving in a joint detachment including a large Russian anti-submarine ship and two Chinese destroyers. Diesel-electric submarines from the two countries are also involved, as well as a Chinese submarine rescue ship, with the vessels set to conduct artillery firing, practise anti-submarine and air defence missions, and improve joint search and rescue operations at sea. Russia and China signed a "no limits" partnership in 2022, shortly before the former invaded Ukraine, and have grown closer as the Kremlin was increasingly isolated by the international community. While both nations have embarked on regular drills in the years since, the latest exercises are likely to draw more scrutiny due to President Trump's move to deploy nuclear submarines "in the appropriate regions" after Mr Medvedev's threats. The use of submarines has also taken on increased importance for China, which is carefully monitoring the progress of the tri-lateral AUKUS agreement. The Trump administration is currently reviewing the deal, as it weighs whether or not to provide Australia with Virginia class nuclear submarines ahead of the development of AUKUS vessels. There are longstanding concerns within the US that allowing Australia to acquire Virginia class vessels would create a gap in the country's own capability. The US has repeatedly failed to meet its own production goal of 1.5 boats per year and that number would need to reach 2.3 in order to ensure enough submarines for both nations. China has mounted a concerted campaign to undermine the pact, including through intelligence efforts to uncover sensitive information, but has also taken steps to prepare for its completion. That includes the anti-submarine drills undertaken i partnership with Russia, with both nations seeking ways to deter and counteract the potential threat. With Reuters.
