Arlington, Va. – Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) President and CEO Eric Fanning released a statement today following AIA's submission of comprehensive feedback to the Department of State on regulations implementing the International Trade and Arms Regulation (ITAR) exemption for Australia and the United Kingdom under the AUKUS security partnership.
"The success of the AUKUS partnership rests on a solid foundation of trust between the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom," said Fanning. "We won’t realize the full potential without serious changes to the rules governing our relationship. We’re already seeing progress with the State Department’s proposed AUKUS guidelines, but we have more work to do to break down barriers to cooperation."
Fanning emphasized that AIA is advocating for changes that will bolster deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, strengthen industrial bases, and boost shared technological advancements.
In addition to ITAR feedback, AIA has called on the U.S. government to address challenges related to technology security and foreign disclosure processes that impede cooperation. The association also reiterated its call for commonsense changes to congressional notification processes for Australia and the United Kingdom, citing their special relationship with the United States.
AIA has been a leading advocate for U.S. industry’s role in implementing AUKUS. In March 2023, it joined counterparts in the UK and Australia to recommend specific regulatory updates for operationalizing this partnership. In April, Dak Hardwick, AIA Vice President of International Affairs, participated in an AUKUS Pilar II roundtable with the House Foreign Affairs Committee where he highlighted the need for industry-government collaboration to ensure AUKUS success.
