Announcing a new program to develop underwater drones for the navy, Australia’s Minister for Defence Peter Dutton said on Thursday that in order to bolster its undersea warfare capabilities, Australia is to invest $2 billion (US$1.44 billion) in developing cutting-edge unmanned submarine technology.
The project is to design, develop and manufacture Extra Large Autonomous Undersea Vehicles (XLAUV) for undersea drones – for capability assessment and prototyping in Australia.
It will be co-funded by the Australian Defense Ministry and Anduril, the Australian subsidiary of a US-headquartered company working in the autonomous warfare field.
The 10 to 30 meters-long vessels will be controlled remotely and will pose a disruptive and tough undersea problem for any adversary. They can carry armaments over vast distances, and perform a variety of functions, such as underwater patrols along pre-programmed paths, anti-submarine warfare, and electronic spying.
According to Dutton, they would compliment and enhance the agility and potency of the current submarine and surface combatant force the Royal Australian Navy’s using in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and would also provide the Australian Defense Force with innovative mission alternatives.
In a separate statement, Dutton said that the Australian military is also set to procure US-made Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) Block 2, a modern naval anti-aircraft missile, designed specifically to intercept supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles.
Amid growing regional tensions, Dutton also openly warned on Thursday that Australia must prepare for war as he complained over China’s influence across the globe during a debate with Shadow Defense Minister Brendan O’Connor ahead of Australia’s 2022 federal election.
Speaking at the National Press Club, Dutton reiterated the premise that when dictators are on the march, you can only preserve peace by preparing for war.
Australian defense projects come amid growing tensions with Beijing in the region, reignited late last month by a security and cooperation treaty inked by China and the Solomon Islands – located just across the Coral Sea off Australia.
The deal could potentially end with an emergence of a Chinese military base on the islands, which would be, as the PM Scott Morrison noted, a “red line” for Canberra although the Chinese Defense Ministry denied such plans.
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