Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marles has declared the seabed a battlefield in a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, urging Beijing to be more transparent about its maritime operations and criticising weak international controls over shadow-fleet vessels. The warning coincided with an announcement by the US, UK, and Australia of a new Aukus project to develop underwater drone technology to protect undersea cables.
Aukus Submarine Deal Revised
The same announcement revealed that Australia will purchase three secondhand Virginia-class submarines from the US under Aukus, instead of a mix of old and new vessels. This move aims to simplify supply chain management, operational and maintenance requirements, and maximise cost efficiencies.
Marles' Speech Highlights Vulnerabilities
Speaking at Asia's largest defence summit, Marles emphasised that undersea internet cables, which he called the arteries of modern civilisation, are being cut at an unprecedented rate, leaving island nations like Australia acutely vulnerable. He stated, 'The seabed is becoming a battlefield. The shadow fleet is becoming a weapon.'
Marles cited five instances of cables being cut in the Taiwan Strait over the past 18 months, attributed to China, and three in the Baltic Sea, alleged to have been committed by Russia. He questioned whether these were accidents or intentional tests of response times and political will.
New Aukus Signature Project
US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth announced the first signature project for the second pillar of the Aukus treaty, which focuses on advanced technology beyond nuclear submarines. This project will deliver a suite of highly adaptable multi-mission Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (UUV) payloads to support undersea operations and maintain collective advantage in the maritime domain. UK Defence Secretary John Healey added that the planned technology, including cutting-edge sensors and weapons systems for undersea drones, will rapidly provide forces with the most advanced battlefield technologies.
Shadow Fleet Concerns
Marles noted that about 99% of Australia's internet traffic flows through just 15 subsea cables, making the country critically dependent on exposed infrastructure that can be cut with an anchor. He also extended his criticism to shadow-fleet ships, which operate in a grey zone between commercial shipping and instruments of state coercion, serving as vectors for sanctions evasion, energy transport sustaining Russia's war, illegal fishing, and trafficking.
Hegseth's Remarks on Asia-Pacific
Hegseth stated that the Trump administration would not let China dominate the Pacific but did not directly mention Taiwan. He urged allies to spend more on defence, saying the US wants partners, not protectorates. Invoking Theodore Roosevelt, he declared America would speak softly but carry a big stick. Hegseth warned that a Pacific dominated by any hegemon would unravel the regional balance of power and undermine the equilibrium all seek to preserve.
He noted the Trump administration's record defence budget request of US$1.5 trillion would unleash America's arsenal of freedom and expand its military dominance for decades. However, he omitted direct mention of Taiwan, an issue closely watched by other nations amid concerns about US commitment to the autonomous island.
