A “historic breakthrough in defence trade” between AUKUS defence pact partners the United Kingdom, United States and Australia was announced by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) on 15 August 2024 following landmark export control changes between the three countries.
The reforms “will enable all three nations to work more closely together to develop next-generation technologies, compete with adversaries and support interoperability in the Indo-Pacific”, the MoD noted.
The ministry estimates that the reforms, which will lift certain export controls and restrictions on technology sharing – will cover up to GBP 500 million (EUR 586 million) of UK defence exports each year and billions of dollars of trade across all three nations.
The announcement came via the publication of the UK’s AUKUS Nations Open General Licence, combined with a new exemption to the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) for the UK and Australia and new national exemptions for the UK and US in Australia’s export control framework. The measures will lift licence requirements for the export and sharing of certain defence products, including advanced capabilities, technical data and defence services. Together, the changes will allow the AUKUS partners to significantly reduce barriers to defence trade and technology sharing, facilitating faster, more efficient collaboration between scientists, engineers and defence companies.
The MoD noted that the measures “will benefit all three nations and help deliver the full economic, innovation and security potential of AUKUS”.
The 15 August announcement followed bilateral meetings between UK Defence Secretary John Healey and his US and Australian counterparts in July, when he met US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the NATO Summit in Washington, DC, and hosted Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles in Sheffield.
Healey was quoted by the MoD as stating, “This is a breakthrough that will allow our three nations to deepen our collaboration on defence technology and trade. Our new government will reinforce the UK’s role in AUKUS to boost Britain’s military capabilities and economic growth.”
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the announcement “demonstrates how AUKUS is taking our relationship with the US and Australia to even greater heights.
“By breaking down barriers to defence trade and co-operation, we’re unlocking huge opportunities for UK jobs and growth while bolstering global security and stability,” he added.
