The United Kingdom and Australia will sign a new five-decade treaty to cement the AUKUS submarine pact and bolster shipbuilding in both countries as the Trump administration continues to scrutinise the ambitious technology-sharing deal, the ABC reports.
The new pact was announced by Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles — along with their British counterparts David Lammy and John Healey — in the wake of annual AUKMIN talks in Sydney on 25 July 2025.
While full details are not yet clear, the agreement is expected to cover the “full breadth” of cooperation between the UK and Australia to develop the next-generation AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine — including to develop the workforce and infrastructure Australia will need to operate and sustain the highly sophisticated military platform.
In a statement, Mr Healey said the “historic” treaty “confirms our AUKUS commitment for the next half century” and would deliver more than $40 billion in exports to the United Kingdom over 25 years.
“Through the treaty, we are supporting high-skilled, well-paid jobs for tens of thousands of people in both the UK and Australia,” he said.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK–Australia relationship was “like no other, and in our increasingly volatile and dangerous world, our anchoring friendship has real impact in the protection of global peace and prosperity.”
