Australia wants Japan’s ‘cutting edge’ tech for Aukus – but not just yet

While Canberra is keen to collaborate with Tokyo on the security partnership, Defence Minister Richard Marles said it was ‘going to take some years’

Asked whether Tokyo should also consider acquiring nuclear-powered submarines, the Australian minister said it was ‘a matter for Japan’

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Two Australian Collins-class submarines pictured at a naval base in Perth. Marles ruled out Tokyo’s participation in the centrepiece project for Aukus: delivering nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 10:31am, 19 Feb 2024Updated: 10:32am, 19 Feb 2024

Australia is keen to see Japan collaborate with the Aukus security partnership on defence technology development in the future, according to Canberra’s defence minister.

While ruling out Tokyo’s participation in the centrepiece project for Aukus – delivering nuclear-powered submarines to Australia – Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles said Canberra wants to “work more closely with Japan” on technological developments, acknowledging that the Asian nation is a “place of innovation” and is “at the cutting edge of technology”.

“I think it is natural that we would be talking about a greater level of cooperation between the three countries – US, UK and Australia – and Japan, in terms of joint collaborations going forward,” he said in an interview in the Australian capital.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles said Aukus members were “very much focused on working on new innovative technologies”. Photo: AP

Aukus was launched in 2021 as the United States and its allies strengthened security cooperation amid China’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. The first pillar focuses on the acquisition of nuclear submarines, while the second pillar is aimed at developing a range of advanced capabilities in areas such as artificial intelligence and hypersonic missiles.

Despite being keen to see Japan’s collaboration, Marles indicated that it would not happen any time soon as Aukus is still “very much focused on working on new innovative technologies among the three countries”.

“As pillar two becomes more mature, which is going to take some years … I think there is an opportunity at that point to look at how we can cooperate with Japan in relation to that,” he said.

Canada and New Zealand have also expressed interest in working with Aukus members on pillar two.