The US is working with Australia and the UK to develop ​unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs) under the umbrella of the AUKUS defense bloc, amid warnings from Beijing that it would trigger an arms race.

These nations had formed the bloc in 2021 as part of a coordinated move to check China’s growing clout in in the Indo-Pacific region.

The defense bloc said in a joint statement in Singapore that the delivery of the vehicles will start next year.

China has called the AUKUS pact “dangerous” and warned it could pave the way for a regional arms race.

The pact between the nations would result in the transfer of military nuclear propulsion technology to power the Royal Australian Navy’s future nuclear-powered attack submarines, according to a report, which said the initiative has made China uneasy.

Beijing is of the view that the development raises concerns over the AUKUS bloc’s commitment to nuclear non-proliferation.

The US, Australia and the UK have denied that the move to provide military-grade nuclear power technology to Australia breaches non-proliferation protocols.

The bloc said that the transfer had been agreed with knowledge of the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA).

The ​program is envisaged to boost the reconnaissance and strike capabilities of the AUCKUS nations, according to the joint statement, Reuters reported.

The AUKUS statement also said the move will bolster superiority in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, mine countermeasures and electronic ⁠warfare capabilities.

The program is under AUKUS’s ‘Pillar Two’ initiative to develop advanced defence technology including quantum computing, ​undersea, hypersonic, artificial intelligence and cyber technology.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the project will deliver an array of UUV payloads designed to support undersea operations.

Britain’s Defence Secretary John Healey said the UUVs will provide AUKUS with advanced battlefield technologies, ⁠cutting-edge sensors and weapons systems for undersea drones.

“For too long in AUKUS, we talked too much and delivered too little,” ⁠Healey was quoted as saying, alongside Hegseth and Australia’s ​defence minister on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

In August, 2024, itself China had made known its displeasure against the move. China’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) had then stated that the transfer of nuclear technology and “weapons-grade enriched uranium” would “undermine” the international non-proliferation regime.

“The US, the UK and Australia set up the so-called AUKUS, and signed a cooperation agreement on nuclear propulsion to greenlight the transfer of nuclear-powered submarine reactors, as well as a large number of weapons-grade highly enriched uranium from nuclear-weapon states to non-nuclear-weapon states,” the MND spokesperson said then.

The Shangri-La Dialogue marked Hegseth’s second time addressing the forum, hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

His address last year drew criticism from Beijing after he warned of the threat posed by China, particularly its stance towards Taiwan, AP reported.

The development also assumes significance as it comes only two weeks after a summit between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing. Hegseth was also present in Beijing during Trump’s high-profile visit.