Australia, the UK, and the US—members of the trilateral security partnership in the Indo-Pacific region—participated in a series of integrated experiments and exercises in the region meant to further capability development and improve interoperability between the three countries.
The exercise, Maritime Big Play, saw the AUKUS partners testing and refining their ability to jointly operate uncrewed maritime systems, share and process naval data, and provide real-time maritime domain awareness in support of decision-making, according to a US Department of Defence release.
The experiments and exercises address the need to expand the reach, capability and capacity of the three forces in the maritime environment through the use of AI and autonomous systems, Madeline Mortelmans, a US Department of Defense official, said.
The three countries also evaluated technologies and equipment by private sector companies, including autonomous air, surface and sub-surface vessels, balloons, and networking systems.
"Our work will inform AUKUS partners' understanding of how crewed and uncrewed capabilities can be integrated to get an operational advantage, and where we can achieve cost savings and improve efficiencies in acquisition, maintenance and sustainment activities," Mortelmans has been quoted as saying.
During a three-week maritime experimentation called Autonomous Warrior 24 in Australia as part of the Maritime Big Play, the three countries completed successful tests of several autonomous and networked systems.
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"Autonomous Warrior/Maritime Big Play creates a unique opportunity for our three countries to work together, which will ultimately improve operational efficiency and allow us to work more cohesively against common threats," said Heidi Shyu, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
While the first pillar of the AUKUS partnership is aimed at delivering to Australia a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability based on UK designs and incorporating advanced technologies from all three nations, the second pillar involves enhancing joint capabilities and interoperability, including undersea capabilities, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomy, cyber capabilities, hypersonic and counter-hypersonic technologies, electronic warfare and innovation.
