AUKUS is a trilateral security pact between Australia, the UK and the US with its main focus area being the Indo-Pacific region.
This pact broke the news for the first time in September 2021 avowing its intention to assist Australia in getting access to nuclear power submarines.
Cooperation on advanced cyber, artificial intelligence, undersea capabilities, electronic warfare, information sharing and innovation are all part of the AUKUS pact. Sharing alliances with New Zealand and Canada is also part of the AUKUS agenda.
It is also being seen that the active nature of AUKUS is basically to counter the expanding Chinese military influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
FEATURES OF AUKUS
1) Under AUKUS, the US would be assisting Australia in increasing its control over the Indo-pacific region by sharing its nuclear propulsion technology with it. Since 1958 under the US-UK Mutual Defense Agreement UK has been getting this very same aid from the US.
Currently only six countries have access to nuclear submarines, the five permanent members of the UNSC (China, France, Russia, the UK and the US) and India.
In the 2023 AUKUS meeting the US officials stated that Australia would be purchasing three Virginia-class submarines with a future provision of buying two more.
2)Under AUKUS, the three countries aim at improving their joint capabilities and interoperability in the computer and cybertechnology arena.
Their main focus would be on enhancing their cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and undersea capabilities.
3) The three AUKUS allies would also focus on the development of hypersonic missiles and will also develop defenses against such missiles.
The cooperation between the US and Australia on the development of hypersonic missiles began in 2020 under SCIFiRE (Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment).
AUKUS AND NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION
The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty focuses on allowing non-weapon states to produce highly enriched uranium for the purpose of naval reactor fuel. The act of nuclear proliferation refers to the agreements done to transfer US or UK nuclear submarine technology including highly enriched uranium to other countries, such agreements are often criticized by scholars and politicians from all over the globe.
The AUKUS deal will make Australia the first non-nuclear weapon state to exercise and allow it to possess nuclear material without being under the radar of the inspection system of the International Atomic Energy Agency. It concerns the global community as this move can lead to increased risk of arms proliferation if other countries decide to follow this approach hence would lead to the development of material needed for nuclear weapon manufacturing without lying under the umbrella of safeguards provided by inspections.
CHINA’S REACTION TO AUKUS’23
As China’s counter to AUKUS’s attempt in countering its influence in the Indo-Pacific region, it began acting as a tranquil broker between Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia and Shia-dominated Iran. This action from Beijing can have serious consequences on which of these two countries would hold power in the Middle Eastern region.
This move by China came as a result of the US, the UK and Australia on March 13, 2023, announcing a deal under which the US-made Virginia class nuclear-powered conventionally armed submarines would be patrolling the western coast of Australia. This ship would have the Chinese mainland in its crosshairs while staying out of the range of the Chinese intermediate-range ballistic missile.
EFFECT ON INDIAN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
India’s position In the current scenario is at a perilous juncture where none of the two issues affects its domestic or international stand directly but in a long run and bringing all the coinciding factors of the respective issues can impact India significantly.
China acting as a broker between the two middle eastern rivals and expanding its influence in the Indian Ocean can lead India towards isolation in its own area. China has multiple ports in the countries across the periphery of the Indian Ocean like the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka, Gwadar port in Pakistan, Chabahar port in Iran, Khalifa port in UAE, Duqm port in Oman all examples of China’s expanding footprints. China’s strategic positioning in the Indian Ocean can act as a threat to India.
Source- The Economic Times
The AUKUS alliance does not have any direct implications on the Indian subcontinent but India’s association with QUAD and Malabar naval exercises will draw attention from the international community towards the allegiance of India. Both China and Russia have often been seen criticizing these military pacts and India being an integral part of these would grow suspicion amongst other countries and this would affect its relations with other countries.