The United Kingdom and Australia have signed a new defence deal in Canberra as they try to boost a start-up nuclear submarine program with the United States, AFP reported.
British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps signed the agreement in Canberra with his counterpart Richard Marles, creating a legal framework that facilitates the reception of troops and the exchange of military intelligence.
The agreement does not constitute a complete mutual defence pact that would obligate one side to intervene if the other is attacked.
It does, however, include a "commitment to consultations" on emerging threats and establishes a "status of forces agreement" that facilitates the reception of soldiers from the other side.
"It is unusual that the UK and Australia have not yet had a defence co-operation treaty," Shapps said after the signing ceremony.
Along with the US, Australia and Britain are members of the newly formed AUKUS defence alliance, a landmark pact aimed at curbing Chinese military expansion in the Asia-Pacific region.
Only two years old, the AUKUS program is already under threat, with some fearing that Donald Trump could end it altogether if he returns to power next year.
Australian National University security analyst David Andrews said the agreement gave the AUKUS plan a much-needed boost.
A key pillar of the AUKUS pact is a pledge to help Australia build and acquire a fleet of powerful nuclear submarines, one of the biggest military upgrades in the country's history.
The agreement would make it easier, for example, to train Australian sailors on the UK's nuclear submarines or to base British crews in Australia.
"This is a reflection of the increased engagement between our defence systems," Australian Defense Minister Marles said. /BGNES
