Pentagon chief says AUKUS will develop unmanned underwater vehicles

SINGAPORE: The United States, Britain and Australia are jointly developing unmanned underwater vehicles as part of the trilateral Orcus Defense Agreement, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters on Saturday.Deliveries of the vehicles will begin in 2027, Aukus said in a joint statement.The plan will improve the three countries’ reconnaissance and strike capabilities “and enhance advantages in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, mine countermeasures, electronic warfare and contested coastal maneuvers,” the statement said.The program falls under what Orcus calls “Pillar Two” and aims to develop advanced defense technologies, including quantum computing, undersea, hypersonics, artificial intelligence and cyber technologies.“This landmark program will deliver a suite of highly adaptable, multi-mission unmanned underwater vehicle payloads designed to support subsea operations and maintain our collective advantage in the maritime domain,” Heggs said.(This is a Reuters report)