On 5 August 2024, AUKUS partners signed the trilateral Agreement Among the Government of Australia, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Government of the United States of America for Cooperation Related to Naval Nuclear Propulsion (the “Agreement”).

In March 2023, the AUKUS Leaders announced an ambitious plan to support Australia’s acquisition of a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability at the earliest possible date, while ensuring Australia’s capacity to safely operate, maintain, and regulate this technology. The Agreement will enable AUKUS partners to continue to share submarine naval nuclear propulsion information between the partners, and allow the United Kingdom and the United States to transfer material and equipment to Australia required for the safe and secure construction, operation and sustainment of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS partnership.

Since the announcement of this endeavour, the AUKUS partners have been resolute that this initiative will be undertaken in a way that sets the highest non-proliferation standard, while protecting classified and controlled information, material, and equipment. To this end, the Agreement re-affirms, and is consistent with, AUKUS partners’ respective existing international non-proliferation obligations. As a non-nuclear-weapon State Party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Australia has re-affirmed unequivocally that it does not have and will not seek to acquire nuclear weapons.

The Agreement is a significant milestone and a demonstration of the AUKUS partners’ commitment to delivering this critical capability.