AUKUS Leaders Advance First Pillar II Signature Project for Autonomous Undersea Intelligence Collection and Surveillance

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Donald Trump reaffirmed AUKUS as "full steam ahead" in a phone call, with the two leaders reviewing progress on the partnership's first signature Pillar II project 123. Albanese said the project centers on joint development of advanced payloads and enabling systems for uncrewed undersea vehicles, and he briefed Trump on Australian technologies including the Ghost Shark undersea vehicle and Ghost Bat combat aircraft 4. Albanese said Trump agreed AUKUS would continue to benefit Australia, the US, and the UK 4. The leaders also discussed the critical-minerals agreement, with Albanese citing more than $3.5 billion in projects underway, including an Alcoa gallium project projected to supply about 10 percent of global demand and a $400 million US investment in the Sunrise Energy Metals project near Dubbo 4.