AUKUS Inquiry Report from the U.K. Defence Committee

The following is the U.K. Defence Committee’s AUKUS inquiry report, published April 28, 2026. From the Report AUKUS, a trilateral defence and security partnership, was announced in 2021 by the leaders of the US, UK and Australia. Conceived with the overarching aim of preserving security and stability in the Indo-Pacific, AUKUS is made up of two distinct elements, or Pillars. Under Pillar 1, the UK and US will enable Australia to acquire a fleet of sovereign nuclear-powered, conventionally armed submarines (“SSNs”). This new submarine — the SSNAUKUS — will also replace the UK’s existing Astute-class SSN fleet when it leaves