Episode 44: RIMPAC 2026, Indonesia’s One-Way Attack USV & US Foreign-Built Warships

Maritime Matters | RIMPAC 2026, Indonesia’s One-Way Attack USV & US Foreign-Built Warships In this episode of Maritime Matters, we look at some of the key maritime security and capability developments shaping the Indo-Pacific. We discuss: RIMPAC 2026 and the testing of AUKUS Pillar II undersea capabilities, including autonomous and remotely operated systems Operation Island Chief and Australia’s support to Pacific-led fisheries surveillance in Solomon Islands The recent Indonesia-China passing exercise east of Taiwan and the political reaction it generated The engineering casualty that left USS Benfold without power in the South China Sea The latest on Collins-class submarine sustainment and the move towards a revised maintenance model Indonesia’s demonstration of a one-way attack unmanned surface vessel and the wider debate over sea denial, geography and navigational rights The US decision to explore allied foreign-built warship designs as it tries to address shipbuilding delays and industrial capacity constraints We also look at what these developments tell us about the changing character of maritime competition, the growing role of uncrewed systems, and the pressure on naval industrial capacity across the region. Recorded 20 August 2026.