Britain's Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Defence Secretary Grant Shapps were in Australia for annual talks on Friday with their counterparts in Adelaide, where local media have reported a British company is expected to be named as the contractor to build a nuclear submarine under the AUKUS agreement.
The treaty signed on Thursday requires the two nations to consult in a contingency that affects the sovereignty and regional security of both countries.
In Canberra, Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marles said it added a strategic dimension to one of Australia's oldest partnerships, noting the UK had a much bigger presence in the Indo-Pacific region than seen in a long time.
Marles said Britain would contribute to a submarine rotational force in Australia, which would be made easier under the new treaty.
The UK would also contribute to a Combined Intelligence Centre in Australia, within Australia's Defence Intelligence Organisation, he said.
(Reporting by Kirsty Needham and Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Tom Hogue and Cynthia Osterman)
