The AUKUS Question

AUKUS is the trilateral security pact between Australia, the UK and the United States, focusing on military capability and technology including cyber, AI, hypersonic and electromagnetic warfare. It will eventually provide Australia with a fleet of up to eight nuclear powered submarines and could cost Australia up to $368bn between now and the mid-2050s.

But far from being a simple defense alliance, many, including China, Indonesia and Malaysia are far from happy with the deal, claiming it’s an attempt to exploit a loophole in global nuclear non-proliferation treaties and could destabilize the entire region. 

In this episode, Juliet Mann speaks to George Yeo, former Foreign Minister of Singapore, and Professor Peter Kuznick, Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University in Washington DC to see what AUKUS really reveals about existing geopolitical fault lines.