Colin Clark

"Clearly, the reason this is happening is because the existing organizational structure is showing deficiencies in terms of delivering key defense projects on time and on budget," Malcolm Davis of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute says.

"So, our plan, our mission, is to make safe, clean, protected oceans, and to do that, we want to be the global industrial leader for maritime autonomy and robotics, essentially like the Microsoft of the ocean," Greenroom Robotics co-founder Harry Hubbert said.

Separately, Papua New Guinea and Australia are set to sign a new security agreement.

"Politically, Modi cannot be seen to be endorsing the glory" of the Chinese military, Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor at Singapore National University, told Breaking Defense.

Amid debate over aircraft carriers' vulnerability, analysts told Breaking Defense global interest is strong.

The “cancellation of this dialogue is disappointing and counterproductive for alliance interests,” Rory Medcalf, head of the Australian National University’s National Security College, said. “It is in the interests of both countries that such dialogues resume as soon as possible.”

“There's a schedule of payments to be made. We have an agreement with the United States as well as with the United Kingdom, it is about increasing their capacity, their industrial capacity,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

"As the geopolitical landscape rapidly shifts, half the population (51%) say Australia should increase defence spending, while a minority (37%) say spending should remain at about the same level as now. Majority support for acquiring nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS has held firm (67%)," a Lowy Institute poll on national security issue found last month.

Sharing MHI's IP with Australia and other measures "goes to show how serious Japan are and how this is a whole of defense (industry & government) effort from Japan," Peter Dean at the US Studies Center said. "They are seeing this as a long-term strategic partnership not just a short-term commercial sale, and that is the best way for them to position themselves to be as competitive as they can be."

“We the Japanese government will guarantee that the whole project, and all the contracts will go smoothly so that there will not be any delay to the project,” Osamu Nishiwaki, a top official at Japan's Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA), told reporters.

“We the Japanese government will guarantee that the whole project, and all the contracts will go smoothly so that there will not be any delay to the project,” Osamu Nishiwaki, a top official at Japan's Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA), told reporters.