From Partners to Producers: U.S.-Australia Defense Cooperation

This episode of All About the Base, a video series analyzing critical industrial base topics, explores the growing integration of the U.S. and Australian defense industrial bases and the role of allied cooperation in strengthening defense production, supply chains, and resilience. As both countries work to expand their industrial capacity and reduce vulnerabilities to supply chain disruptions, deeper cooperation offers opportunities to combine Australia’s resources and industrial capabilities with the scale and technology of the U.S. defense industrial base. 

Host Dr. Jerry McGinn, Director of the Center for the Industrial Base, speaks with Ms. Belinda Templeman, Australia’s Minister-Counsellor for Defence Materiel, about Australia’s efforts to strengthen its sovereign defense industrial capabilities while deepening cooperation with the United States and other trusted partners. The discussion examines Australia’s 2026 defense strategies and reforms, including efforts to improve procurement, sustainment, workforce development, and long-term industry engagement. 

The episode explores several areas of U.S.-Australia cooperation, including AUKUS, guided weapons and munitions production, critical minerals, and the Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience. Templeman discusses how co-development, co-production, and co-sustainment can create greater industrial capacity and geographic depth for the alliance, while efforts such as AUKUS Pillar II and license-free technology transfers seek to accelerate collaboration and capability delivery. Together, their discussion highlights the importance of integrating allied industrial bases, strengthening resilient supply chains, and building the industrial capacity needed to support shared defense and security objectives. 

The All About the Base series is made possible by general funding to CSIS.