The initiative is intended to "secure our collective edge in the maritime domain," said U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, along with counterparts from Australia and the UK, after a meeting in Singapore.
Cooperation within AUKUS began in 2023 with a joint investment in Pacific submarines, and Australia subsequently announced it would purchase submarines from the United States.
Hegseth said on Saturday that stage two of the collaboration will begin with the joint development of logistical and technological support for unmanned underwater vehicles.
AUKUS's goal is for the Pacific Ocean to be "free and open", in a clear signal of China's growing power ambitions in the region.
