US, UK and Australia announce formation of AUKUS a new trilateral defence partnership for Indo-Pacific

US, UK and Australia have announced the formation of AUKUS - a new trilateral security partnership for Indo-Pacific region. It was announced in a joint address by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison and US President Joe Biden with a vision for a safer and more secure Indo-Pacific.

The first project of AUKUS will be to help Australia acquire a nuclear-powered conventionally-armed submarine fleet. The three heads of state reaffirmed their intention to continue



to work with their allies and groupings in tandem with AUKUS, with the Quad being mentioned by Morrison and Biden.

The Quad leaders - Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and US President Joe Biden will meet at the White House on the 25th of this month. Both Quad and now AUKUS are more than likely to be seen as counterweights to China's growing muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region.