Richard Marles announces AUKUS seabed defence project at Singapore summit amid China concerns
Defence Minister Richard Marles has warned of a new frontline of global conflict, as he announces a new AUKUS move to counter the threat.
Trilateral AUKUS partners will develop technology to protect undersea cables as seabeds increasingly become “battlefields”, Defence Minister Richard Marles says, as he urges transparency from China about its operations in the Taiwan Strait.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia’s biggest annual defence and security summit, Mr Marles said the seabed was “becoming a battlefield”.
“The shadow fleet is becoming a weapon,” he said.
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Mr Marles pointed to the cutting of subsea cables in the Taiwan Strait, where five have been damaged in the past 18 months, as well as three incidents in the Baltic Sea.
These are alleged to have been committed by China and Russia respectively.
“Now, maybe these were accidents. But even if they were, it highlights the vulnerability of this crucial part of the globe’s infrastructure,” Mr Marles said.
“If they were intentional, we are left to wonder: are countries testing our response times, testing our attribution thresholds and testing our political will to respond?”
He later talked of the “geuinely important” stabilisation of the relationship between China and Australia.
“Australia wants a stable and productive relationship with China, and we believe that is achievable,” he said.
“And China has a real opportunity. A commitment to transparency around its maritime operations would be a meaningful contribution to the regional stability upon which China’s own prosperity depends.
“And a commitment to international law as the basis for managing and resolving maritime disputes would do the same.”
Mr Marles later announced the first project under the AUKUS agreement’s Pillar Two after meeting with his US and UK counterparts in Singapore.
He said the project would “significantly enhance AUKUS partners’ ability to protect critical national seabed infrastructure”.
The technology – set to be delivered in 2027 – would be attached to uncrewed submarines and aim to “deploy cutting edge surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike capabilities; conduct logistics operations, and bolster superiority in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare”.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier praised Australia for “stepping up” as he chided other Pacific allies as looking for a “free ride” and relying on the “generosity of the American taxpayer”.
He said the US and its allies were “moving away from a model of dependency and toward one of true partnership”.
“The era of the United States subsidising the defence of wealthy nations is over,” he said.
The Trump administration has called for Australia to increase its defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP.
And he praised Australia, as well as South Korea, Singapore, the Philippines and Japan, for increasing their defence spending.
“Australia is stepping up,” he said.
“Together we are expanding the rotational presence of US forces and collaborating to ensure our defence industrial base builds and sustains weapons required for a high-end fight.
“We appreciate Australia’s investment in real combat power and the commitment to integrate more deeply with the US Joint Force.”
Originally published as AUKUS submarines to protect undersea cables, as Marles warns of seabed “battlefield”
