The U.S. government and industry officials at the Farnborough Airshow have announced that the U.S. is easing restrictions on the transfer of military equipment and technology to the United Kingdom and Australia. This move aims to strengthen the AUKUS security alliance among the three countries and there will be more initiatives in the future.
AUKUS was established in 2021 to address the growing concerns arising from China’s increasing expansion. The security alliance plans to invest 368 billion Australian dollars (approximately 245 billion U.S. dollars) to assist Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines.
According to reports from Reuters, Brian Burton, Senior Advisor for International and Industrial Base Policy at the U.S. Department of Defense, stated at a panel discussion at the Farnborough Airshow that the U.S. is relaxing restrictions on the transfer of military equipment and technology between Australia and the UK to facilitate more effective collaboration among the three countries’ industries.
The Farnborough International Airshow is hailed as the “premier aerospace industry event” and took place at Farnborough Airport in Hampshire, England from July 22 to July 26.
In April of this year, the U.S. State Department proposed reducing the licensing requirements for the transfer of military equipment and sensitive technology among the U.S., Australia, and the UK under AUKUS. The final rules were approved by the White House Office of Management and Budget on July 19 and are expected to be announced in August.
Matthew Steinhelfer, Senior Advisor for AUKUS at the U.S. State Department, noted that AUKUS has received strong bipartisan support in Congress.
“We are very optimistic that we will take some very significant, bold steps,” he said. “These measures will help advance AUKUS.”
Dak Hardwick, Vice President for International Affairs of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), stated that the revised rules mark the “most significant change” since the enactment of the Arms Export Control Act in 1976. The AIA represents numerous defense contractors.
Simon Fhima, Director of Strategic Plans at the UK Ministry of Defence, emphasized the importance of creating an environment for sharing information, collaboration, and joint procurement of defense equipment in the next phase.
Kylie Wright, Assistant Minister for Defence Industry in Australia, mentioned that they are systematically reviewing the three major systems to eliminate any barriers that hinder seamless cooperation and coordination among the three countries.