Aukus: Step closer to finalising advanced technologies on UK, US and Australian treaty

Plans are in place to narrow down the Aukus treaty, as MPs hear how the trilateral promise between the UK, US and Australia is shaping up.

Aukus is a security pact between the three nations to deliver conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, designed to keep the UK and its allies safe.

In an update on the treaty, MPs have been told how the submarines, known as SSN-Aukus, will be focused on four areas of advanced technologies.

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The build of the SSN-Aukus submarines will be split into two areas; pillar one focuses on the build and framework, while pillar two looks at the advanced technologies.

But Sir Stephen Lovegrove, the Prime Minister's special representative on Aukus, admitted there had been clear setbacks in pillar two.

"Well, there is a degree of frustration, there's no question about that with industry on not as yet identifying a suite of programmes for pillar two."

However, he did update the committee that they'd been able to narrow pillar two down to having four main areas.

"I thought that there were too many ideas, actually, in pillar two.

"My recommendation there was to concentrate on a much, much reduced number of ideas. 

"We have necked down to four, I think, proposed areas," he added.

"I don't think I'm in a position, I'm afraid, to be able to tell you what those areas are because I think that is classified," Sir Stephen explained.

He said Australia agreed to those proposals and hopes that when the American review concludes, they will follow. 

In 2021, the plans for pillar two first focused on AI, cyberwarfare and long-range hypersonic missiles.

But Sir Stephen told MPs they were "immature ideas" at the time. 

"We needed to be able to identify where the best ones were going to be," he added.

The boats, known as SSN-Aukus, will be the largest, most advanced and most powerful submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy.

Another point under contention was how much the public knows about the trilateral programme, with Sir Stephen agreeing he wished the public could know more, but that the information was classified.

He further backed the idea of an Aukus visa to help streamline the build.

Plans are still in place for the Royal Navy to receive the first SSN-Aukus submarines by the end of 2030.