The Government welcomes the Committee’s recommendation and the opportunity to update on progress across AUKUS Pillar II. Since the publication of the Committee’s report, AUKUS partners announced the first Pillar II signature project – delivering cutting-edge payloads and enabling systems for AUKUS partners’ Uncrewed Undersea Vehicles. This will provide tangible benefit to the warfighter, with delivery starting in 2027. The project is intended to significantly enhance AUKUS partners’ ability to protect critical national seabed infrastructure, deploy cutting edge surveillance, reconnaissance and strike capabilities, support logistics operations and bolster superiority in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, mine countermeasures, electronic warfare and contested littoral manoeuvre. Beyond the signature project, Pillar II has already delivered a range of meaningful outcomes. This includes AUKUS-designed AI algorithms flown onboard partner P8 maritime patrol aircraft to enable faster and more accurate detection of adversary submarines. Under AUKUS, the UK, US and Australia have also demonstrated the launch and recovery of UUVs from an Astute-class submarine for the first time. Separately, in April 2026, an AUKUS hypersonic test flight using UK payloads onboard a US platform was executed, and in 2025 at Exercise Talisman Sabre, AUKUS nations tested the first-ever integration of AI-enabled autonomous capabilities. The Government will continue to identify opportunities to drive forward progress under Pillar II, noting the importance of maintaining momentum and ensuring that collaboration translates into operational advantage at pace.