Critical Analysis of Five Eyes Alliance

This insight examines the Five Eyes Alliance, highlighting its strategic significance, the various domains in which it operates, and its key responsibilities. It also analyses the geopolitical role of Five Eyes amidst the ongoing United States (US)-China competition.

Map of Five Eyes Alliance States

Source: Reddit

The Five Eyes originated with the signing of the BRUSA Agreement between the US and the United Kingdom (UK) in May 1943 and evolved into the UKUSA Agreement in 1946.

Over the next decade, it expanded as an intelligence alliance between Anglo-Saxon countries through additional agreements, including Canada in 1949 and Australia and New Zealand in 1956. Its primary purpose was facilitating the exchange of signals intelligence (SIGINT), cryptanalysis techniques, decryption, translation information, and various capabilities, practices, procedures, and equipment analysis. It played a critical role during World War II and the Cold War. In the post-9/11 era, the scope of the alliance includes counterterrorism and geopolitical intelligence.
The US National Security Agency (NSA), the UK’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), Canada’s Communication Security Establishment (CSE), the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), and New Zealand’s Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) are key intelligence agencies involved in Five Eyes.
Five Eyes operates through coordinated efforts of member states, which monitor each other's population and safeguard shared geopolitical interests in four ways. First, they gather information through SIGINT, intercept communications, and engage in code cracking. Second, they offer each other specialised tec hnical expertise. Third, each country focuses on specific regions for intelligence gathering. For instance, Europe and Western Russia are monitored by the UK, Pacific and Southeast Asia by New Zealand, South and East Asia by Australia, the Caribbean, China, Russia, the Middle East, and Africa by the US, and Latin America, North Atlantic, and North Pacific Oceans by Canada. Fourth, they collaborate through shared and integrated intelligence systems, which include access to databases, processing systems, and the ability to decode data across cyber and maritime domains.

This coordination mechanism relies on regular meetings to align strategies and enhance intelligence-based data. It operates through secure communications and collaborative operations. For instance, SIGINT played a crucial role during the Battle of the Atlantic from 1939 to 1945 and was essential in the West’s efforts to contain communism. The three-dimensional intelligence approach integrates signals, human intelligence, and military operations, with locations such as Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Cyprus serving as offshore stations for Five Eyes.

At present, in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US and UK shared declassified information publicly in January 2022, before events unfolded, aiming to counteract the so-called Russian propaganda. For instance, they publicly asserted that Russia might carry out a false flag attack under the guise of protecting ethnic groups in Ukraine. Additionally, the US and NATO allies provided Ukraine with crucial information about the location and routine of Russian Generals. Ukrainian officials confirmed that they targeted twelve Russian Generals. The US also supplied Ukraine with advanced technology, including automated Switchblade drones, which facilitated intelligence sharing about the alleged Russian attack on Hostomel Airport in 2022. The same year, Ukraine successfully sank Russia’s heavy assault ship Moskva in the Black Sea using US intelligence.

Moreover, Five Eyes is significant for the US-led West’s efforts to contain China. For instance, it criticised China’s 2021 regulations that allowed for the disqualification of legislators in Hong Kong. In response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson stated, “China never creates trouble but is not afraid of it. It doesn’t matter if there are five or ten eyes”. In 2021, Five Eyes, the European Union (EU), and NATO publicly condemned China for its so-called involvement in the Microsoft Exchange (MSE) hack.

Five Eyes is strategically significant for what some call Cold War 2.0. The US National Security Strategy (NSS) 2022 identified China and Russia as threats to US interests while viewing India as a new partner. This is occurring alongside the formation of alliances like the AUKUS between Australia, the UK, and the US, a military maritime coalition aimed at countering China’s influence in the region. AUKUS’s second pillar focuses on advanced technological cooperation, including quantum technology, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence (AI).
With Five Eyes’ help, the Chief Financial Officer of Chinese company Huawei, Meng Wanzhou, was arrested in 2020 by US authorities in Canada over alleged national security violations. Subsequently, four of the Five Eyes nations banned Huawei and its 5G technology. This escalated the US-China rivalry in the Asia-Pacific region to another level. In October 2023, Five Eyes leaders jointly and publicly criticised China, warning the country about spying and the theft of intellectual property rights after a meeting with private companies in Silicon Valley. China dismissed these claims.
Furthermore, Canada also decided to ban Chinese tech giants Huawei and ZTE, along with their 5G services, in 2024. Nonetheless, the US-China rivalry over data, including issues related to subsea cables, is likely to become a significant aspect of geopolitics, where intelligence gathering by Five Eyes could play a crucial role.
In a recent geopolitical spin, the Five Eyes shared information with the Canadian government regarding the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh on Canadian soil by India’s intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Canada also received similar information from the US and Australia. In October 2024, Canada expelled Indian diplomats, while the US urged India to cooperate with Canada.
During the US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s (NATO) operations in Afghanistan after 9/11, Five Eyes members coordinated with Pakistan to address cross-border terrorism and insurgent activities. Pakistan's cooperation in logistics, intelligence, and counterinsurgency efforts was instrumental. However, Five Eyes members, especially the US, now often tilt towards India in their strategic partnerships, including intelligence sharing. This preference is perceived as a challenge to Pakistan’s security interests.