Pentagon Forges High-Tech Deal With UK, Australia

From underwater drones to electronic warfare, the US is expanding its high-tech military cooperation with Australia and the United Kingdom as part of a broader effort to counter China’s rapidly growing influence in the Indo-Pacific, Lolita C. Baldor reported for the Associated Press (AP).

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and Grant Shapps, the British secretary of state for defense, at the Defense Innovation Unit headquarters. I Photo: Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin X

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with defense chiefs from Australia and the United Kingdom at the US military’s defense technology hub in Silicon Valley to forge a new agreement to increase technology cooperation and information sharing.

The goal, according to a joint statement, is to better address global security challenges, ensure each can defend against rapidly evolving threats, and “contribute to stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.”

Austin met with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and Grant Shapps, the British secretary of state for defense, at the Defense Innovation Unit headquarters.

Speaking at a news conference after the meeting, Austin said the effort will, for example, rapidly accelerate the sophistication of the drone systems, proving that “we are stronger together.”

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