The United Kingdom's Secretary of Defence says UK defence assets could be temporarily based in Australia in the future as the two nations intensify their security cooperation.
Ben Wallace and UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss met with Defence Minister Peter Dutton and Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne in Sydney for the annual AUKMIN talks.
The United Kingdom, United States and Australia have vowed to elevate security ties under the AUKUS pact, which is the framework they are using to cooperate on emerging defence technologies and develop nuclear-powered submarines for Australia.
But the nuclear submarines — if they are successfully built — are not expected to be active for almost two decades and there is speculation US or UK nuclear-powered submarines could be temporarily based in Australia in the meantime.
While Mr Wallace and Mr Dutton stressed there were no immediate plans to base British defence assets in Australia, both indicated the two countries might take that step in the future.
"In terms of basing [assets in Australia], there's no proposal on the table to provide that additional basing [but] it could be something that we discuss at an appropriate time if it's suitable to both parties," Mr Dutton told reporters after the meeting.
"But I think what you'll see is a greater regularity in visits [of British ships and submarines], in training, in people being embedded in both services, and certainly a greater cooperation in exercises."
Mr Wallace told journalists that discussions about security collaboration under AUKUS were still at an early stage, but he stressed "nothing was off the table" under the arrangement.
"Let's take the steps as they come," he said.
"We're going to lay foundations for training, we've got to lay foundations for working together.
"But in the meantime, Britain will certainly make sure that submarines, when we have availability or we wish to deploy in conjunction with Australia, we will do that."
All four ministers hailed the relationship and said democratic states such as the United Kingdom and Australia had to intensify collaboration in the face of "malign actors".
Ukraine invasion would be 'massive strategic mistake'
Senator Payne said while Australia was capable of working with countries with different political systems, it would not tolerate "assertiveness or aggression by authoritarian states who would deny others that sovereignty".
"As liberal democracies, we are natural partners in countering the influence of malign authoritarianism, in standing up for human rights, in maintaining the international rules-based order," she said.
Ms Truss said the two countries were "modernising our partnership for a new age".
"The reality is that threats are rising across the world," she said.
"Russia is threatening Ukraine, amassing troops on the border, Iran is striving for a nuclear weapon and China is using its economic muscle against Australia and other allies like Lithuania.
"What we have shown today is that we are completely united in our response.
Ms Truss also used a speech to the Lowy Institute to warn Russia against launching an invasion of Ukraine, saying any conflict would lead to a "terrible quagmire and loss of life" and would be a "massive strategic mistake".
The Foreign Secretary said the conflict over Ukraine was part of a broader dispute between liberal states and authoritarian ones, saying autocracies were now "emboldened in a way that we haven't seen since the Cold War".
Ukraine has asked Australia for assistance fighting Russian cyber attacks.
After the AUKMIN talks, Senator Payne told journalists Australia would be "prepared to consider requests in areas in which we could assist Ukraine".
"No formal requests have been made [and], to be clear, that is not about direct military support," she said.
"That is not on the table from Australia's perspective.
"But we will work closely with Ukraine in the coming days and weeks in terms of challenges that they are dealing with and continue to affirm our views on their sovereignty and territorial integrity."
