The trojan submarine: AUKUS, Pillar II, and the U.S. ITAR
The JoSTC released an insightful article shedding light on the evolving dynamics of strategic trade controls within the AUKUS partnership.
The paper examines the so-called “AUKUS-ITAR dilemma,” a debate sparked after the 2021 announcement of the AUKUS trilateral security partnership. Critics argue that the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) hinder the success of AUKUS, advocating for exemptions to ease military trade among the U.S., U.K., and Australia. However, this paper contends that these critiques oversimplify the issue, downplaying key differences in export control regimes and overstating the need for ITAR reform. Through analysis of recent U.S. legislation, the paper demonstrates that rather than eliminating U.S. military export controls, the AUKUS-ITAR dilemma has resulted in a more robust, ITAR-based plurilateral export control regime dominated by U.S. interests and primed for further expansion.
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