The Daily Dazzling Dawn

UK and Australia aim to boost defence and growth at summit in London

by DD Staff

December 15, 2024

UK & Australia flag

key takeaways

Addressing security issues is expected to be a major topic of discussion during a summit between the UK and Australia in London.

Expected announcements from Monday's annual ministerial conference include the UK Carrier Group's 2025 deployment to Australia, increased Australian assistance for Ukrainian military training, and the establishment of a new submarine program office in Bristol.

Australia's foreign minister Penny Wong and deputy prime minister and defense minister Richard Marles will hear from Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Defense Secretary John Healey on strengthening defense and economic ties and fostering prosperity.

Mr Lammy said the Government wants to “go further to deepen our cooperation with countries like Australia to boost economic growth, build supply chain resilience and transition to net zero”.

He added: “Together, we are modernising our partnership, working to tackle the biggest challenges around the world and furthering our co-operation on defence, security and foreign policy matters.”

Aukus is the name of the trilateral agreement between Australia, the UK and the US to create a joint nuclear submarine project.

It is believed it could lead to 7,000 additional British jobs and at its peak and see more than 21,000 people working on the SSN-AUKUS programmes in the UK supply chain.

A new office in Bristol is to be used to help coordinate and integrate the UK and Australian Aukus programmes and supply chains.

The UK and Australia are also trying to develop underwater capability and share information.

Australia is to equip its Hunter Class frigates with Thales’s 2087 sonar which could contribute around £45 million to the UK economy, according to the Foreign Office.

It is also expected that the UK Carrier Strike Group will sail to Australia in 2025.

HMS Prince of Wales would become the first Queen Elizabeth class carrier to make a port visit to Australia and she would also take part in Exercise Talisman Sabre, an exercise involving 19 nations.

Mr Healey said that in the face of increasing global threats the announcements are set to “demonstrate how our two nations, working in lockstep, can help drive jobs and growth while reinforcing our collective security”.

He said he also believes that supporting Ukraine, the Aukus partnership and high-end military exercises can help to prove “the value of cooperation in delivering security and prosperity in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific”.