The United States, United Kingdom, and Australia will jointly develop new undersea drones under the AUKUS defense pact, War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Saturday in Singapore.
Hegseth said the project is the first “Pillar Two” initiative focused on uncrewed undersea vehicles, calling it a move to deliver “highly adaptable multi-mission UUV payloads” to maintain maritime advantage.
AUKUS, formed in 2021, strengthens Indo-Pacific defense cooperation and includes nuclear-powered submarine development under Pillar One and advanced technologies like AI, cyber, and quantum systems under Pillar Two.
The announcement comes after past concerns over a Pentagon review of the pact, later eased when President Trump reaffirmed U.S. support. Hegseth said the U.S. remains committed and is moving quickly to expand submarine capabilities in the Pacific.
