Quantum Tech Seen Providing AUKUS Advantage in Undersea Warfare Against China

Integrating AUKUS quantum technology research and development can expand the naval superiority of the military alliance of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States over China, particularly in submarine warfare, industry experts told Breaking Defense. 

The alliance’s cooperation in quantum science, as well as in artificial intelligence and robotics R&D, can lead to “a series of prototypes” for sea testing and evaluation, Arthur Herman, a Hudson Institute senior fellow and Quantum Alliance Initiative director, said. According to Herman, quantum sensing “has the potential to revolutionize submarine warfare,” whether it involves manned or unmanned submarines, Breaking Defense reported. 

Bryan Clark, a Hudson Institute fellow and Center for Defense Concepts and Technology director who had previously worked on an Australian Defense Force study, said quantum capability in uncrewed systems is the most significant technology that the ADF is pursuing. The latest Australian UUV versions could run for weeks or months without outside help, Clark said.

Celia Merzbacher, Quantum Economic Development Consortium’s executive director, said that Australia “would probably be number one” in per capita quantum innovation. An Australian Strategic Policy Institute study showed that Australia, the United Kingdom and other U.S. allies ranked in the top five of most quantum research subcategories, even as the U.S. and China, respectively, ranked No. 1 and No. 2 overall, Merzbacher added.