A statement of intent between UK firm QinetiQ and Australia's CEA Technologies was signed in Canberra on 12 August 2026, according to the UK Ministry of Defence. The agreement covers cooperation between the two governments and industry on Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar systems. The ministry said the work builds on the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations agreement reached in June and is intended to strengthen supply chains and open export opportunities.

Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard and Australian Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy welcomed the agreement at CEA Technologies during a week-long visit that was also planned to take in New Zealand. The ministry said Pollard also met Resources Minister Madeleine King on critical minerals and interim National Armaments Director Nadine Williams, and planned to visit Henderson Shipyard in Western Australia and Devonport Naval Base in Auckland.

The release stated that AUKUS is expected to create more than 10,000 jobs in Western Australia and a further 10,000 in South Australia, that recent supply-chain initiatives are generating work for 39 Australian companies, and that more than 3,000 new jobs have been created across key UK nuclear sites since July 2024. It described a prospective UK-New Zealand maritime partnership as potentially delivering up to 1,000 jobs and NZ£300 million of investment.