This ASPI Insight sets out what AUKUS is—a technology accelerator that is about shifting the military balance in the Indo-Pacific. Just as importantly, it sets out what AUKUS isn’t, to reset some of the discussion. AUKUS isn’t a new alliance structure, a competitor to the W Quad between Australia, India, Japan and the US, or a signal of decreased commitment to ASEAN forums by the AUKUS members.

The report proposes some focus areas for implementation of this new ‘minilateral’ technology accelerator, including having a single empowered person in each nation charged with implementation and ‘obstacle busting’. This is to break through the institutional, political and corporate permafrost that has prevented such rapid technological adoption by the military in recent decades.

On purpose and urgency, the report identifies a simple performance metric for AUKUS implementers over the next three years.