Ms. Madeline Mortelmans, currently performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans and Capabilities, provided a statement on AUKUS Pillar 2 and Exercise Maritime Big Play. Her office leads both pillars of AUKUS within the Department of Defense in collaboration with various stakeholders.
"Secretary Austin has said several times in the past that our alliances and partnerships are our greatest global strategic advantage. Specifically, AUKUS presents a unique opportunity for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States to foster a more capable, more combined force of the future. And in so doing, we will strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific," Mortelmans stated.
AUKUS is working on capability development by generating requirements, co-developing new systems, and deepening industrial collaboration to deliver advanced capabilities to forces. Pillar 1 focuses on developing an advanced nuclear-powered submarine capability.
Pillar 2 aims at emerging technology development and delivery. "AUKUS Pillar 2 is designed to harness the combined industrial and innovation bases of the tri-lateral partners to ensure that our forces are equipped with cutting edge interoperable military capabilities," Mortelmans explained.
Efforts under Pillar 2 include enhancing undersea warfare capabilities by launching uncrewed underwater systems from submarines and integrating Stingray lightweight torpedoes into P-8A maritime patrol aircraft. These initiatives aim to improve interchangeability among forces while providing resilience across munitions stockpiles.
The International Joint Requirements Oversight Council (I-JROC) plays a critical role in identifying joint requirements under Pillar 2. "The I-JROC will ensure that we have prioritized combined and joint solutions from the very start," Mortelmans added.
A cornerstone remains leveraging defense industrial bases through innovation communities. This year saw an electronic warfare-focused innovation challenge, with winners announced last month. Meetings with Advanced Capabilities Industry Forum representatives are planned by year-end.
In Jervis Bay this week, Exercise Maritime Big Play demonstrates AUKUS's efforts through integrated trilateral experiments aimed at enhancing capability development and increasing autonomous systems' sophistication in maritime domains. Japan joined as an observer this year.
Maritime Big Play involves testing uncrewed maritime systems' operation across nations to enhance real-time maritime domain awareness for decision-making support. "It's our goal to transition cutting edge technologies into capabilities that give our forces decisive advantage as quickly as we can," Mortelmans emphasized.
This initiative aims to inform partners about integrating crewed and uncrewed capabilities for operational advantages while achieving cost savings in acquisition activities. Future experiments will evolve alongside emerging technologies and operational needs.
"AUKUS is building a foundation for deep defense industrial cooperation," concluded Mortelmans, emphasizing its role in ensuring peace and stability alongside UK and Australian partners now and into the future.
