The AUKUS Alliance and its Implications on the Non-Proliferation Treaty

Abstract

A new three-pronged security pact was signed in September 2021 between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, allowing Australia to acquire nuclear-propelled submarines and advance technological sharing on a variety of fronts, including the most recent sharing of hypersonic technology. The AUKUS agreement appears to violate the Non-Proliferation Treaty as well as the US decades-long commitments to reduce highly enriched uranium stockpiles in non-nuclear weapon states. The United States has abandoned its commitment to non-proliferation in favour of a deal that is more strategic in nature and driven by national interests. The AUKUS agreement carries significant security risks and will add fuel to the Asia-Pacific nuclear non-proliferation debate and arms race. In this context, this study seeks to investigate the effects of AUKUS on the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). This study contends that the NPT's future is bleak and remains in the shadow of major powers' interests; smaller states are unlikely to comply with existing nuclear treaties due to the dichotomous nature that major powers hold against them. It also sheds light on the future of non-nuclear armed states in relation to existing treaties such as the NPT.