The AUKUS Security Pact and Its Implications on the Indo-Pacific Security Architecture

Abstract

In September 2021, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia entered into a new security partnership, that is, a trilateral security pact called for short: "AUKUS". Having already cooperated closely together in various political and security formats, the AUKUS deepens the maritime component of their collaboration. This contribution discusses the strategic motives behind the establishment of the AUKUS and its potential implications for the security architecture in the Indo-Pacific, including possible new flexible partnerships. Geographically, the focus rests on the situation in the South China Sea. The South China Sea is a critical hotspot where China is acting increasingly assertive. Securing freedom of navigation and trade in the South China Sea is a vital national interest for the US, Australia, and the UK. This contribution will examine the maritime power potentials of the AUKUS members vis-à-vis China, discussing the importance of nuclear-powered submarines for power projection in the Indo-Pacific. Last but not least, it will address the fact that the announcement of the AUKUS and the cancellation of Australia's previous submarine deal with France not only surprised the European Union but demonstrated the lack of geostrategic importance of this economically strong but in the Indo-Pacific militarily irrelevant actor.