So we’ve gone all in. The trend lines have been there for a while, but as severalcommentators have pointed out already, the awkwardly named AUKUS is a step change in the level of commitment by Australia to the United States.
The ‘forever partnership’ binds us more closely to America at a time when there was starting to be debate, especially among conservative thinkers, about the need for a more independent Australian capability. That debate wouldn’t have passed unnoticed in Washington. Given the apparent willingness of the US to share exceptionally closely held technology, indications are that it is a very deliberate choice on the part of the United States.
