Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom have vowed to expand cooperation on hypersonic weapons under the AUKUS pact as the three countries press on with the trilateral plan to develop nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy.
US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prime Minister Scott Morrison issued a joint statement overnight updating progress on the defence technology pact.
The six-month update is also partly aimed at calming regional anxieties about the government's nuclear-powered submarines plan, with several other nations notified of the joint statement in advance.
In the statement, the three leaders condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and reiterated their "unwavering commitment to an international system that respects human rights, the rule of law, and the peaceful resolution of disputes free from coercion."
They also laid out their next steps on defence technology cooperation under the partnership.
Australia, the UK and the US have already begun work on deepening collaboration across a range of advanced military technologies, including cyber, artificial intelligence, quantum technology and undersea robotics.
The three countries will now expand that cooperation to four including hypersonics and counter-hypersonics missiles, as well as electronic warfare capabilities and information sharing.
Both China and Russia have made large strides testing advanced versions of hypersonic missiles that can hit distant targets at such high speeds that they cannot be readily intercepted by defence systems. The weapons can carry nuclear payloads.
Most analysts say the United States is currently lagging behind both Beijing and Moscow on the technology, although the Pentagon reportedly conducted its own successful tests last month.
Australia is also trying to develop its own advanced missiles — including hypersonics — under a several defence initiatives announced by the federal government.
The AUKUS update also runs through the multitude of meetings undertaken by leaders and officials who are tackling some of the enormously complex technical, logistical and regulatory questions posed by the nuclear-powered submarine plan.
For example, officials from all three countries visited several sites across Australia in February to begin scoping out what sort of industrial capabilities, infrastructure, workforce and safety requirement will be needed to deliver the submarines.
The Government has flagged that Australia will opt for a US or UK design for the submarines before the end of the year, but has made it clear no decision will be made before the federal election.
The Government has also declared it wants to deliver the first submarine before 2040, but the Defence Minister has repeatedly suggested that timeline could well be brought forward.
Mr Dutton again declared yesterday that Australia would be able to get the first nuclear-powered submarines in the water "much sooner than people realise" although he didn't offer a specific time frame.
China's UN ambassador Zhang Jun warned against measures that could fuel a crisis like the Ukraine conflict in other parts of the world when asked about the deal to cooperate on hypersonic weapons and electronic warfare capabilities.
"Anyone who do not want to see the Ukrainian crisis should refrain from doing things which may lead the other parts of the world into a crisis like this," Mr Zhang told reporters.
"As the Chinese saying goes: if you do not like it, do not impose it against the others."
