2021年9月15日美國總統拜登（Joe Biden）、英國首相強森（Boris Johnson）、澳洲總理莫里森（Scott Morrison）宣布組成AUKUS，協議主要內容包含由英美技術轉移澳洲建造8艘核動力攻擊型潛艦。AUKUS的成立反應美國對中國海軍在南海與南太平洋急速擴張尤其核潛艦發展與活動的擔憂。進一步衝擊印太安全局勢，例如「南澳北日」馳援台海與南海、中國強化航母與反潛作戰體系建設、核擴散可能性大增、引發印太地區軍備競賽、以及南海成為美中戰略核嚇阻舞台。

The U.S. President Joe Biden, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the establishment of AUKUS on September 15, 2021. The agreement includes American and British technological transfer to build 8 nuclear-power submarines for Australia. AUKUS reflects the U.S. concerns over the rapid expansion and increasing activities of Chinese Navy at South China Sea and South Pacific, which in turn trigger more security challenges to Indo-Pacific region such as the security division of labor between Japan and Australia at Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, China to enhance its air carrier and Anti-Submarine Warfare, possible proliferation of nuclear, arm race, South China Sea as the center stage for strategic nuclear deterrence between the U.S. and China.