We have been tracking the slow-moving gears of the AUKUS alliance for years, but the three-nation pact finally has something tangible to show for its Pillar Two initiative. The US, UK, and Australia have announced a joint plan to develop and deploy uncrewed undersea vehicles by next year.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey practically admitted what we have all been thinking, stating that the alliance has “talked too much and delivered too little.” We agree, but this new underwater drone project might actually put some teeth into their Indo-Pacific strategy.

A 170 Million USD Bet on Undersea Robotics

The UK is throwing 150 million pounds (about 201 million USD) into the project. Neither the US nor Australia has announced their exact financial contributions yet, which makes us wonder who is carrying the heaviest load here.

These combat-ready drones are designed to protect seabed infrastructure, carry out strikes, and conduct surveillance. While military alliances secure physical cables, everyday users still need to worry about digital security, like learning how to create a strong password in 2026.

Guarding the Cables Against Russia and China

The announcement at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore comes amid rising anxiety over undersea sabotage. Healey previously accused Russia of running covert operations near northern UK waters, where Russian vessel sightings have spiked by 30 percent.

Meanwhile, Chinese ships are suspected of cutting cables near Taiwan and in Swedish territory. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles warned that these incidents look like foreign adversaries testing Western political will.

The new drones will deploy sensors and advanced weapons systems to deter these hybrid threats. We will see if these uncrewed subs can patrol the Pacific, Atlantic, and High North effectively by 2027.

Pillar One Submarine Delays and Plan B

While these drones represent Pillar Two, the massive Pillar One nuclear submarine project is still decades away. The actual AUKUS-class submarines are not scheduled to hit the water until the 2040s.

To bridge the gap, the US plans to rotate its own nuclear submarines through Western Australia starting later this year. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth insists this rotation plan is still on track, though we remain skeptical about the tight timeline.

Australia also plans to buy three second-hand, in-service Virginia-class submarines from the US in the 2030s. Marles defended the massive spending by stating there is simply no “Plan B” for Australia’s defense.