On September 17, 2024, the leaders of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States issued a joint statement marking the third anniversary of AUKUS. The statement announced that, following initial consultations, AUKUS partners and Japan were exploring opportunities to improve interoperability of their maritime autonomous systems as an initial area of cooperation.
Separately, the leaders stated that they were consulting with Canada, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea to identify possibilities for collaboration on advanced capabilities under AUKUS Pillar II. In April 2024, defense ministers had announced principles for additional Pillar II partner engagement on specific projects.
On export controls, the statement noted that Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States had implemented “momentous amendments” to their respective export control regimes, including reforms to U.S. ITAR, the UK Open General Licence for AUKUS nations, and Australian legislative changes. While the third anniversary statement did not contain new quantum-specific announcements, the expansion of Pillar II to additional partners could extend the scope of quantum technology collaboration beyond the original three nations.