The three-member Aukus defence pact may soon expand beyond its primary aim of boosting Australia’s submarine fleet to also include Japan and South Korea, according to analysts, with both North Asian powers potentially co-developing or acquiring similar nuclear-powered vessels and taking part in hi-tech projects.
These developments could transform Aukus – a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United States and Britain – into a more expansive Indo-Pacific defence network.
Washington’s recent approval for Seoul to develop nuclear submarines – confirmed during a meeting between US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in Gyeongju last month – was seen as a watershed moment that could pave the way for Tokyo’s involvement as well.
“If this trend continues, Aukus could evolve from a strictly Anglosphere initiative into a broader Indo-Pacific defence innovation framework while retaining its core trilateral foundation,” Bence Nemeth, associate professor at King’s College London, told This Week in Asia.
Deep sea deterrence
The decision to allow South Korea to build nuclear-powered submarines marks a significant shift in the region’s security architecture, elevating it into a small US-backed group of countries with such naval capabilities, according to analysts.
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