New Aukus drone subs to protect critical undersea cables as Marles warns: ‘seabed is a battlefield’
Summary
Australia, the US, and the UK announced a new Aukus project to develop underwater drone technology to protect important undersea internet cables. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles warned that the seabed is becoming a zone of conflict due to attacks on these cables, many of which are linked to China and Russia.Key Facts
- The Aukus alliance is creating underwater drones with sensors and weapons to guard subsea cables and maintain maritime security.
- Australia plans to buy three used Virginia-class nuclear submarines from the US to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
- Over the past 18 months, there have been multiple attacks on undersea cables in the Taiwan Strait and Baltic Sea, attributed to China and Russia.
- These cables carry about 99% of Australia’s internet traffic and are critical for communication, finance, health, and government functions.
- Marles described “shadow-fleet” vessels that operate illegally or for state coercion, causing problems like sanctions evasion and illegal trade.
- Defence officials urged China to be more open about its maritime activities to help keep the Asia-Pacific region stable.
- The US Defence Secretary emphasized keeping strategic advantage in the Pacific and warned against China’s dominance.
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