An AUKUS social licence

In his latest column for Defence Technology Review, Dr Ian Langford, Executive Director of Security & Defence PLuS, argues that Australia’s success under AUKUS will depend on social legitimacy as much as technology or industry.

“For Australia, AUKUS is not just about technology transfers or shipyard contracts. It is about whether we can marshal the fiscal resources, the political legitimacy, and above all, the social licence to sustain a nuclear enterprise for decades.”

He warns that introducing nuclear-powered submarines into a country with “no civilian nuclear power industry, no established regulator and no deep national dialogue on safety or waste management” leaves the program politically fragile.

To secure enduring public support, Langford calls for AUKUS to be framed as a national enterprise delivering broad benefits, from nuclear medicine and research to job creation and industrial capability.

“Legitimacy cannot be assumed. It must be earned.”

Read the full article in Defence Technology Review or access the PDF: An AUKUS Social Licence