Innovative Alliance: U.S.-Australian Defense Science and Technology Cooperation for a Dangerous Decade

The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) rapid military modernization and fielding of next-generation systems could challenge the preeminence of the United States and its allies, like Australia, in the Indo‑Pacific. Maintaining an edge in defense science and technology is one part of the U.S. and Australian strategy to develop capabilities that could contribute to deterrence or increase the likelihood of victory in war. The integration of advanced technologies into military capabilities, decisionmaking, and operating concepts could provide qualitative or asymmetric advantages. For example, developments in fields like artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomy could result in battlefield applications of human-machine teaming that are cost‑effective and improve decisionmaking and survivability.