Australia will join the US and UK to test a new way of tracking Chinese submarines using artificial intelligence, with the news coming a fortnight after Australian naval divers were injured in an incident with a Chinese warship.
The US Navy’s surveillance and attack aircraft will deploy the technology during Pacific patrols to process large amounts of information gathered from the three nation’s sonobuoys, or underwater detection devices.
The announcement follows a meeting of the countries’ defence officials and forms part of the AUKUS defence agreement.
Last month, Australian naval personnel sustained minor injuries when a Chinese warship began operating its full mounted sonar despite repeated warnings divers were in the water.
Officials labelled the incident “unsafe and unprofessional” as they unveiled a raft of new AUKUS initiatives.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the new package of technology was highly relevant to Australia’s strategic circumstance.
“It [the incident] absolutely highlights the need for this arrangement and it absolutely highlights the need for speed in this arrangement and I think you can see that speed,” he said.
“We’ve stood up the relevant agencies. We’re seeing infrastructure work be commenced, our workforce being trained, the visits happening. This is moving fast.”
Australia is set to receive $3 billion worth of military training and equipment from the United States as part of the AUKUS agreement.
The deal, announced as part of an AUKUS meeting in the US, includes training navy personnel in submarine navigation and ship control.
It will see 70 additional US government and contractor representatives posted to Australia for three years.
Mr Marles said that was a practical first step in delivering the technology.
Source : News
