In Geopolitics Today - Tuesday, April 5th
China’s Approach to Security in Central Asia, AUKUS to Jointly Develop Hypersonic Missiles, US Army Prepares to Conduct Tests for Drone Swarm Technologies
China’s Approach to Security in Central Asia
During the 1990s, China’s approach to security in Central Asia was primarily focused on stemming the influence of an Uyghur-led independence movement in the province of Xinjiang. While concerns for stability throughout Xinjiang continue to be a key driver of China’s security relations with countries in Central Asia, new security interests have emerged with the growth of China’s economy and an expansion of regional trade. To address these interests for stability in Xinjiang and the opportunities provided by regional trade expansion, Chinese security engagement in Central Asia has expanded.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is one avenue through which China shapes the security environment in Central Asia. The SCO has conducted annual security exercises since 2010 and since then, efforts have been made to create regional discussion groups which coordinate law enforcement agencies between China and countries in Central Asia. In addition to the SCO, Beijing has considerably deepened bilateral relations in the region toward joint patrols and operations, regular military exercises, training programmes, and the construction of security infrastructure. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have been most conductive toward China’s efforts and initiatives in this regard, with both countries eager to bolster their own capabilities and infrastructure via closer collaboration with China. So far, cooperation between Central Asia and China has been a pragmatic and opportunistic choice, with increased regional engagement with Beijing partly attributed to the absence of other committed major powers.
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AUKUS to Jointly Develop Hypersonic Missiles
Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States have agreed to jointly cooperate on the development of hypersonic weapons systems. Falling under the AUKUS security framework, the decision by leaders in the three anglophone countries aims to minimize costs by sharing the burdens and responsibilities of hypersonic weapons development as a part of AUKUS’ central goal of countering China’s growing influence and power in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
The agreement comes as all three powers step up efforts to field hypersonic weapons after recognising that China has leapt ahead in the development. China has reportedly conducted over a hundred hypersonic missile tests, compared to the US which has carried out an estimated dozen such tests. The statement included a joint intention by all three powers to commence trilateral cooperation on developing counter-hypersonic technologies, electronic warfare capabilities and information sharing. The AUKUS announcement also comes shortly after Australia announced its intention to spend an estimated US$2.7 billion to bolster existing missile capabilities and develop new precision missiles. Australia has chosen US arms manufacturers Raytheon and Lockheed Martin as strategic partners for these longer-term missile plans, with both corporations expected to develop these advanced capabilities on Australian soil.
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US Army Prepares to Conduct Tests for Drone Swarm Technologies
Recent advancements in drone swarming technologies are moving autonomous unmanned weapons systems which work in concert closer to operational use for the US military. It is estimated that within the next five years, it may be possible for the US military to launch swarms of drones which consist of as many as 1,000 separate unmanned aerial systems working in tandem on the battlefield. Active testing of such systems is already underway, with the US Army preparing a major test of drone swarm technology later this year.
The US Army has partnered with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency — which has been testing such technologies since at least 2017 — to facilitate tests of their drone swarm systems by active-duty personnel from the US Army. An upcoming Edge 22 drill will reportedly see swarms of drones demonstrating a number of behaviours revealed to the public. These include the ability to detect, identify, locate and report in real-time from the battlefield; electronic warfare capabilities; algorithm-based search and destroy missions; as well navigation of the drone swarm in an environment where satellite guidance is denied. US drone swarm capabilities are speculated to already be highly-refined, and a number of additional behaviours that the drone swarm is capable of have remained classified. While swarm drone technologies are thus far not in active operation of any military force, China, the UK and the US are approaching operational capabilities, and are expected to field such technologies within the next five years.
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