Australia and the United Kingdom have reaffirmed their defence industry partnership following the Australia-UK Defence Industry Dialogue held on 23 February 2026, the Australian Government said.
The meeting, hosted by UK Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard and Australia’s Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy, marked the revival of the dialogue after the 2025 ministerial consultations and underscored ongoing cooperation between Australia and United Kingdom.
Ministers highlighted the importance of strengthening industrial collaboration to support advanced capability development and operate in a more complex global security environment.
Discussions included progress on Active Electronically Scanned Array radar technology cooperation and exploration of potential use of Australian AESA systems in the UK, supported by planned risk-reduction activities.
Australia also invited UK observation of MQ-28A testing at Woomera in 2026 and noted cooperation on directed-energy weapons and software-enabled planning systems.
Supply chain resilience was another focus, with ministers agreeing to deepen work on energetics and munitions supply, critical minerals for defence technologies, and opportunities to strengthen the shared steel industrial base for the AUKUS submarine program.
The dialogue also welcomed the arrival of HMS Anson in Perth as part of efforts to support Australia’s development of sovereign industrial capability for future nuclear-powered submarine operations.
Progress was noted in reactor manufacturing activities and submarine infrastructure and design investments supporting the SSN-AUKUS program.
Both governments reaffirmed their support for Ukraine in its defence against Russia’s invasion, including exploring opportunities for UK weapons testing at Australian ranges.
The ministers described the dialogue as an important platform for advancing defence manufacturing, technology cooperation, and workforce capability, and directed agencies to pursue practical measures to streamline collaboration, approvals, and standards across the two countries.
