The new agreement is the next step in a widening military cooperation with Australia that was first announced in 2021. The three nations have laid out plans for the so-called Aukus — Australia, UK and US — partnership to help equip Canberra with a fleet of eight nuclear-powered submarines. As an island nation, Australia has a need for improved maritime drones and precision strike capabilities, he added. Shapps said that with China "undermining the freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific, we've never had a greater need for more innovation." He said open navigation of the seas, including in the Pacific and the South China Sea, was critical.

Source: Manila Times December 02, 2023 17:07 UTC