Australia, Britain, US announce new Indo-Pacific security partnership

The United States will help Australia acquire nuclear powered submarines as part of a new Indo-Pacific strategic alliance also including Britain. The new agreement could infuriate France, which has been negotiating a multi-billion-dollar sale of conventional submarines to Australia.
That deal will probably now be scrapped, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the three-way partnership, dubbed AUKUS, is a "historic" new piece in Washington's growing focus on the region, where China is challenging decades of US leadership and naval dominance.
What the Biden administration official called an alliance of "maritime democracies" will combine the three countries' forces on "cyber, AI -- particularly applied AI, quantum technologies and some undersea capabilities as well."
AUKUS' first initiative, however, will be "to support Australia's desire to acquire nuclear powered submarines," the official said, stressing this does not mean nuclear weapons.
"Australia does not seek and will not seek nuclear weapons. This is about nuclear powered submarines."
Technical and naval representatives from the three countries will spend the next 18 months deciding how to carry out Australia's upgrade.
The Biden administration official underlined repeatedly how "unique" the decision is, with Britain being the only other country the United States has ever helped to build a nuclear fleet.
"This technology is extremely sensitive," the official said. "We view this as a one-off."
Even if not carrying nuclear weapons, the new submarines will allow Australia to play at a much higher level.