On September 15, 2021, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, US President Joseph Biden, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison issued a joint statement announcing the creation of AUKUS, an enhanced trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The joint statement identified quantum technologies as one of four initial areas of focus for advanced capability cooperation, alongside cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, and additional undersea capabilities, according to the House of Commons Library briefing.
Under the partnership’s Pillar 2, the three nations established the AUKUS Quantum Arrangement (AQuA) to accelerate investments in next-generation quantum capabilities, with an initial focus on quantum technologies for positioning, navigation, and timing. The arrangement provided a framework for coordinated research, development, testing, and evaluation efforts across the three countries.