From technology to capability: AUKUS and defence governance in Australia

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5902/2357797598710

Keywords:

AUKUS, Australia, Defence governance, Military adaptation, Technological autonomy

Abstract

This article analyzes AUKUS as a case study of the relationship between war, technology, and defence governance. It asks how Australia seeks to transform access to advanced military technologies into strategic capability. The argument is that AUKUS should be understood as a long-term military-industrial transformation rather than a mere submarine program. The analysis connects McNeill, Krause, Kadercan, and Tilly with defence-governance scholarship and Australian official documents updated through 2026. It shows that Australian success will depend on coordinating strategy, industrial capacity, budget, skilled personnel, alliances, institutional adaptation, and accountability mechanisms. Although Australia is not part of the Global South, the case provides a useful analytical contrast for states seeking greater technological autonomy without autarky, because it highlights the institutional requirements and dependencies involved in converting technological access into military capability.

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Author Biography

Marcelo Carvalho Ribeiro , Universidade Federal de Santa Maria

Bacharel em Direito, Mestre em Operações Militares, Doutor em Ciências Militares
pela Escola de Comando e Estado-Maior do Exército; Graduado em Ciências Militares pela
Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras e em Direito pela Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; General de Brigada da reserva do Exército Brasileiro; Mestrando em Relações Internacionais pela Universidade Federal de Santa Maria

References

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Published

2026-10-02

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 3 (2026): Publicação Contínua - Dossiê "Desafios Tecnológicos para a Construção da Defesa e Segurança no Sul Global"

Section

Artigos Dossiê

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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