Australian Department of Defence

New Capabilities

As of May 2026: Operational partner and likely lead end user of the underwater drones

The Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) pact, unveiled in September 2021, promised nuclear-powered submarines not arriving in Australia until at least 2032. Five years on, the partnership has finally produced a piece of joint hardware, and it is not a submarine.

Updated May 31

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Aligning with Japan in calling out unsafe Chinese military behavior

On December 6, 2025, two Chinese J-15 carrier fighters from the Liaoning locked fire-control radar on Japanese F-15s over international waters southeast of Okinawa. Japan's defense minister Shinjiro Koizumi called the lock-ons "dangerous" and "extremely regrettable," and Tokyo lodged a formal protest.

Updated May 10