On March 13, 2023, the leaders of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States convened at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego, California, to announce the AUKUS “Optimal Pathway” for delivering nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. A joint leaders statement accompanied the announcement, reaffirming the partnership’s commitment to Pillar II advanced capabilities, including quantum technologies.
Under the Optimal Pathway, Australia would purchase three to five U.S.-built Virginia-class submarines beginning in the early 2030s while concurrently co-developing the SSN-AUKUS class with the United Kingdom. Pillar II quantum work under the AUKUS Quantum Arrangement (AQuA) continued in parallel, with experimentation and demonstrations in quantum technologies, undersea capabilities, hypersonics, and autonomous systems all planned before 2025.
At the time of the announcement, no public deliverables from AQuA had been disclosed. A United States Studies Centre assessment noted that quantum technology had been highlighted as a priority area in statements from April 2022, December 2022, and March 2023, with plans for demonstrations in 2023-2024 and beyond.