Recently, Australia and the United Kingdom have signed the Geelong Treaty, a 50-year defence agreement under AUKUS.
About the Geelong Treaty
- Overview: A bilateral Nuclear-Powered Submarine Partnership and Collaboration Treaty between Australia and the UK, signed under AUKUS Pillar I.
- Duration: Establishes 50 years of strategic defence cooperation.
- Focus: Covers the design, construction, operation, sustainment, and disposal of the next-generation nuclear-powered, conventionally armed submarines (SSN-AUKUS).
- Supports:
- Development of personnel, workforce, infrastructure, and regulatory systems.
- Port visits and rotational presence of a UK Astute-class submarine at HMAS Stirling
- Significance: Represents the most detailed and long-term defence manufacturing and technology-sharing agreement between Australia and the UK.
- Commitment to Non-Proliferation: Treaty aligns with international obligations, including:
- Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
- South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty and Protocols.
- IAEA safeguards agreements.
- AUKUS Naval Nuclear Propulsion Agreement (ANNPA).
About AUKUS
- Genesis: A trilateral security and defense partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States established in 2021.
| The Exchange of Naval Nuclear Propulsion Information Agreement (ENNPIA), a legally binding tripartite pact signed in 2021, facilitates the sharing of critical naval nuclear propulsion technology among AUKUS partners. |
- Aim: To strengthen defence capabilities, accelerate technological integration, and expand industrial capacity, with the broader goal of promoting stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
- Structure: AUKUS is built around two core pillars:
- Pillar I – Submarine Cooperation: Supports Australia in acquiring its first fleet of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs).
- Pillar II – Advanced Capabilities: Accelerates cooperation in intelligence sharing and critical defence technologies, including:
- Cyber capabilities
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Quantum technologies
- Undersea technologies
- Electronic warfare and innovation
- Other emerging innovations
Indo-Pacific region
- The term “Indo-Pacific” has gained prominence in recent years as a geopolitical concept that highlights the strategic and economic importance of the interconnected Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.
- The Indo-Pacific region broadly covers the space from the east coast of Africa through the Indian Ocean, across Southeast Asia, and into the Pacific Ocean up to the US west coast.
- Maritime Trade Hub: Over 60% of global maritime trade and the majority of energy flows (oil, gas) pass through this region.
- Strategic chokepoints: Straits of Hormuz, Malacca, Lombok, Sunda, all critical for global energy and trade security.
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Impact of AUKUS on India
Strategic Significance for India
- Balancing China: AUKUS strengthens deterrence against Beijing in the Indo-Pacific. India benefits indirectly, as it wants China contained without being drawn into direct confrontation.
- Complementing the Quad: By upgrading Australia’s military capabilities, AUKUS adds weight to Quad’s strategic role. It addresses capability gaps in the Indian Ocean, especially where Australia and Japan lack naval depth.
- European Partnerships: While France lost a major submarine deal, AUKUS gives India an opening to strengthen ties with Paris. India can deepen collaboration with France, a trusted partner in defence and technology.
- Strategic Maneuvering Room: India gains flexibility. Without being bound by AUKUS, it can hedge between Quad, NATO, and European partners while pursuing its independent Indo-Pacific strategy.
Concerns for India
- Regional Influence: The influx of nuclear-powered submarines in the Eastern Indian Ocean may reduce India’s relative naval weight.
- Technology Access Limitations: The US clarified that Australia’s nuclear-propulsion deal is one-of-a-kind. This dampens India’s hopes of acquiring similar tech.
- Diplomatic Fallout: France withdrew from several trilateral engagements (India–France–Australia), suspending initiatives like joint naval exercises. Repairing this distrust will take time.
| QUAD |
AUKUS |
- Members: United States, Japan, India, Australia
- Nature: Informal strategic dialogue / minilateral cooperation
- Core Objective: Promote a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific; focus on broad regional challenges
- India’s Role: Central to Quad’s strategy due to location and maritime capabilities; provides access to Indian Ocean chokepoints
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- Members: United States, Australia and United Kingdom
- Nature: Formal security and defence partnership
- Core Objective: Enhance hard military capabilities, especially undersea deterrence against China
- India is not a member; indirectly benefits as AUKUS complements Quad.
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Similarities between Quad and AUKUS
- China-Focused: Both groupings are responses to China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific, particularly its naval expansion and coercive tactics.
- Security Cooperation: Both frameworks enhance defence collaboration through joint exercises, technology sharing, and strategic dialogues.
- Indo-Pacific Stability: Their collective aim is to ensure peace, stability, and freedom of navigation in vital sea lanes across the Indo-Pacific.
| SSN – Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarine |
SSBN – Nuclear-Powered Ballistic Missile Submarine |
- Armed with conventional weapons (torpedoes, cruise missiles) for hunting ships, submarines, and intelligence roles.
- Nuclear-powered for long endurance but not equipped with nuclear ballistic missiles.
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- Armed with submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), often carrying nuclear warheads.
- Serves as a strategic nuclear deterrent, ensuring second-strike capability.
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22 Aug 2025
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