Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom announced a historic new defense pact

Australia, the United States and Britain will unveil a historic new security agreement to share advanced technologies, including nuclear submarine technology, in a major international announcement Thursday morning.

The sources indicated that as part of the deal, which will be known as AUUKUS, the United States will help Australia develop a nuclear submarine capability, which could prompt Australia to abandon its $90 billion submarine deal with France.

The working group will enable the three countries to exchange information in areas including long-range strike capabilities, artificial intelligence and submarine systems in a convincing attempt to counter China. Politico mentionedCiting a White House official and a congressional employee.

This will be announced at 7:00 AM ET, when the White House said US President Joe Biden would make “brief comments about a national security initiative.”

In Australia, federal government ministers were called to a top-secret meeting in Canberra on Wednesday ahead of the announcement. Sources familiar with the developments said that some cabinet members were granted border exemptions to travel quickly to Canberra to attend the hastily organized meeting.

Defense Secretary Peter Dutton and Secretary of State Marise Payne, who are in Washington for a series of meetings over the next two days, are said to have joined Wednesday’s meeting via secure communication.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese and three other senior members of his deputy also had a rare opportunity to brief them on this highly sensitive issue.

Several coalition lawmakers said in that letter they had a short wait to call in for a rare conference call at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, but none of them knew because of the briefing.