The Geopolitics of Asia Pac, Australia and Japan (Part Two)
The US is also drawing Australia closer in for similar geopolitical reasons. Initially, AUKUS had been seen as a submarine deal. Still, with time, it has become clear that AUKUS involves deep cooperation and collaboration on space, AI, quantum and supercomputing, defense systems, and deep tech. Australia won’t just host a military presence more than before. Australia will be “co-manufacturing guided weapons,” aircraft, and more. One of the most significant quantum computing firms – PsiQuantum – got the backing of the US government and the Australian government and chose Australia for a good reason. They see Australia's strategic relationship deepening with its principal defense partners. The US wants the first “useful quantum computer” (PsiQuantum’s strapline) built in a “Three-Eyes” nation. PsiQuantum explains that their product is “a utility-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer involves photonics-based architecture” that “leverages existing infrastructure to build and scale these systems as fast as possible.” Boston Consulting Group estimates that the operation, “the world’s first commercial-scale FTQC, could bring up to $48 billion in GDP and 240,000 new jobs in Australia by 2040.”
The US is also pulling Australia closer in on the space story. The public still views space as a place where billionaires and scientists are blowing billions playing at the edge of our galaxy. They don’t see the strategic importance of space. They do not understand that Ukraine and Gaza are the first space wars, where space-based communication assets are the only reason a small country like Ukraine or a small militia like Hamas can suddenly acquire massive offensive capabilities. Ukraine could not have fended off Russia or engaged in successful offensive actions against Russia without Elon Musk’s Starlink mega constellation of satellites. By having access to the data from Iran’s new stationary satellite, Hamas had superpower-level ground intelligence that would have been unimaginable in the past. Few explain the real reasons driving the space race with clarity, namely the possibility of unlimited clean green energy from space-based solar power, unlimited resources from asteroid and planetary mining, and access to the most important science lab in history – zero gravity. Given all this, watch Gilmour Space.
The public does not yet realize that space-based solutions can solve many important earthbound problems. All they see are messy rocket launches. These are now coming to Australia in ever-greater numbers now that the US Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) has come into force, according to the Australian Space Agency (ASA). As Space & Defence reports, “Australia has several advantages when it comes to space launches. Its prime geographical position (the Arnhem Space Centre is just