Australia- UK Sign 50-Year Geelong Treaty Under AUKUS 

Syllabus: GS2/ International Relations

Context

• Australia and the UK signed the bilateral Nuclear-Powered Submarine Partnership and Collaboration Treaty (the Geelong Treaty) in Geelong, Australia, solidifying their commitment to the AUKUS defense pact.

About Geelong Treaty

• The Geelong Treaty is a historic agreement that commits the UK and Australia to 50 years of bilateral defense cooperation under AUKUS Pillar I.
• The Treaty will enable comprehensive cooperation on the design, build, operation, sustainment, and disposal of their SSN-AUKUS submarines.
• The signing of the treaty came as the United States wavered on its role in the AUKUS alliance.
  • It has announced a review of the trilateral security partnership to determine whether the agreement aligns with the America First agenda.

What is AUKUS?

• AUKUS is a trilateral defence and security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
• It was established in 2021 to bolster their allied deterrence and defense capabilities in the Indo-Pacific. 
• The trilateral partnership has two pillars.
  • Pillar I revolves around the acquisition and development of conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy; 
  • Pillar 2 focuses on cooperation in eight advanced military capability areas: artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technologies, innovation, information sharing, and cyber, undersea, hypersonic and counter-hypersonic and electronic warfare domains.

Why was AUKUS formed?

• Increasing Presence of China: The Indo-Pacific region has witnessed increasing geopolitical tensions, including territorial disputes, military build-up, and assertive behavior by China.
  • The participating countries share concerns about maintaining peace, stability, and freedom of navigation in the region.
• Technological Cooperation: AUKUS aims to enhance technological cooperation, particularly in the field of defense and security. 
• Alliance Strengthening: AUKUS represents a deepening of security ties between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 
• Response to Regional Dynamics: The formation of AUKUS is seen as a response to shifting regional dynamics and evolving security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
  • It reflects a broader trend of countries in the region seeking to forge closer security partnerships and alliances to address common concerns and counterbalance China’s influence.

Opportunities of the treaty

• Australia: It will become one of the few countries in the world to have nuclear-powered submarines. This strengthens its navy and gives it more defence independence.
• UK: It boosts the UK’s defence manufacturing sector, especially in areas like submarine production. It also strengthens the UK’s presence in the Indo-Pacific.
• Technology and Security: Through AUKUS Pillar II, the three countries will also work together on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum technologies, Cyber security, Underwater robotics and Hypersonic weapons.

India’s View on AUKUS

• India is not part of AUKUS and has maintained a neutral and non-aligned position regarding its formation.
• India sees opportunities in AUKUS for regional stability but remains wary of nuclear proliferation risks and China’s reaction, especially in the Indian Ocean.
• India continues to engage bilaterally with AUKUS members (US, UK, Australia) through defence dialogues, technology partnerships, and Quad summits.
• While India shares the core objective of ensuring peace, stability, and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific, it remains wary of the precedent set by the transfer of nuclear propulsion technology to a non-nuclear weapons state under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Challenges

• US Production Capability: The US currently builds ~1.13 Virginia-class submarines per year, but needs ~2.33 to fulfill AUKUS and US demands. Delays could leave Australia without submarines in the earliest years.
• US Policy Uncertainty: The ongoing US review of AUKUS, aligns with political shifts under an “America First” agenda, creating strategic ambiguity for both Pillar I and II.
• Non-Proliferation Scrutiny: Concerns are raised over precedent-setting transfer of nuclear propulsion technology to a non-nuclear weapon state, even under IAEA safeguards and NPT compliance.
• Industrial Complexity: Building a reliable submarine industrial base demands continuous workforce, expertise, and infrastructure development over decades. Supply chain gaps or political shifts could disrupt progress.

Concluding remarks

• The Geelong Treaty strengthens Australia–UK defence ties under AUKUS, ensuring long-term cooperation on nuclear submarines and advanced technologies.
• For India, it offers both strategic opportunities and nuclear governance concerns, requiring careful monitoring to safeguard its interests in the Indo-Pacific.

Source: AIR