AUKUS is not just a submarine acquisition program; it is a long-term strategy for strengthening Australia’s agency in a contested Indo-Pacific, where undersea power matters more than ever. Undersea power is the national capacity to understand, monitor, protect and contest the undersea environment, including undersea cables, seabed resources, maritime energy infrastructure and more.
Geography imposes significant operational demands. Australia occupies an island continent separated from principal allies and partners by expanses of ocean, with ports spread far apart and sea lines of communication extending thousands of kilometres. Submarines form an integral part of the suite of defensive capabilities required to deter aggression and protect Australia’s expanded maritime interests.
Despite the distance, Australia is not immune to international conflicts and has repeatedly found itself engaged in them close to home and far from its shores. Along the way it has looked to acquire the best possible military capability available: the apex predator. For the navy of World War I, it was the battle cruiser HMAS Australia, and submarines were in the mix.
by The Strategist – In a contested Indo-Pacific, undersea power is critical. AUKUS is our strategy
