On 19 May, ASPI USA was delighted to host the 4th annual AUKUS Dialogue, a distinguished half-day conference in Washington featuring two targeted sessions focused on constructive solutions to take AUKUS Pillars One and Two forward, concluding with an evening cocktail reception.  

Esteemed guests—including members of parliament of the United Kingdom, Congressional staffers, industry leaders, academics, and government officials—engaged in a lively discussion hosted by ASPI USA Executive Director Adam Leslie, ASPI USA Senior Fellow and Director of Alliance Strategy Nishank Motwani, and ASPI UK Foreign Policy Lead and Visiting Fellow in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London Sophia Gaston. 

The following key points were raised: 

1. We need to define deterrence to drive capability. Building on Dr. Nishank Motwani’s opening remarks and article, “AUKUS and Deterrence: What, Exactly, Are We Trying to Deter?” a central question was, “What can AUKUS actually do to enhance deterrence?”

2. The workforce capacity challenge is existential to the success of AUKUS. 

3. What is Pillar Two actually trying to solve? 

4. Pillar Two needs more than technology—it needs political will. 

5. Pillar Two is the strategic lever AUKUS needs now. 

We’d like to extend our sincerest gratitude to the speakers (Tan Dhesi MP, Member of Parliament and Chair of the House of Commons Defence Committee; Matthew Steinhelfer, Senior Advisor on AUKUS, US Department of State; Matt McInnis, Senior Advisor, US Indo-Pacific Command; Abe Denmark, Partner and Defense and National Security Practice Lead, The Asia Group; Hon. Steven Marshall, President, American Australian Association; Matthew Kibble, Founder and Managing Partner, DYNE Ventures; and James Carouso, Senior Adviser and Chairman of the Advisory Council to the Australia Chair, CSIS), attendees, and all who made this such a successful event! 

Stay tuned for future insights from the Dialogue from the ASPI USA team.