The Australian government has selected BAE Systems and ASC Pty Ltd to jointly build Australia’s new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines in the latest significant development in the AUKUS trilateral security pact.
SSN-AUKUS is a new class of nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) being developed in partnership with the US and Australia to satisfy the needs of the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy. The first-of-class for the ROYAL Navy is due to enter service in the late 2030s; Australia expects to deliver its first SSN-AUKUS submarine in the early 2040s.
Announcing the move on 21 March 2024, the companies said they would work closely together to establish the foundations of the complex project and will initially form a collaborative arrangement. This will in due course lead to the establishment of a long-term incorporated joint venture company within Australia that will bring together the skills, expertise and resources of the two partners to deliver Australia’s SSN-AUKUS submarines under AUKUS Pillar 1.
As previously highlighted by Warship Technology, Australia in September 2021 revealed plans to acquire a fleet of SSNs under a tripartite arrangement with the US and UK governments. In March 2023, after an 18-month consultation period, the three AUKUS partners unveiled a so-called ‘Optimised Pathway’ outlining a staged approach to the Commonwealth’s acquisition and sustainment of a force of eight SSNs by the mid-2050s.
The plan envisages Australia initially purchasing three Virginia-class SSNs from the US government, to be followed by the acquisition of a new SSN-AUKUS submarine design: SSN-AUKUS will be the future attack submarine for both the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Navy, with production lines being established in both countries.
This arrangement demands that, alongside acquiring world-leading submarine technology, Australia must also establish in-country a new production line, supply chain and sustainment capability for conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines. The expectation is that the SSN-AUKUS programme – as the single biggest capability acquisition in Australia’s history – will create around 20,000 direct jobs over the next 30 years.
At the same time, Australia is investing significant amounts in building up submarine industrial bases in both the US and UK. This funding is intended to ensure that both nations can upskill and upscale to a level sufficient to deliver the transfer of technology and associated support required by Australia.
Alongside the build of the future submarine construction yard in Osborne, facilities at HMAS Stirling and other supporting facilities in Western Australia will be expanded to support the scale of infrastructure required for the berthing and support of nuclear-powered submarines. Plans are also being developed for a second submarine base, to be located on Australia’s east coast.
Construction and delivery of the new SSN-AUKUS submarine is intended to provide an enduring SSN capability for both Australia and the UK. Capitalising on concept design activities previously performed under the UK’s national SSN(R) programme, the SSN-AUKUS design will incorporate technology inputs from all three AUKUS nations, including US-developed technology such as propulsion plant systems and components, a common vertical launch system and weapons. The ambition is to engineer a high degree of commonality and interoperability across all three navies’ SSN platforms and combat systems.
The UK will deliver its first SSN-AUKUS in the late 2030s. The first SSN-AUKUS submarine built in Australia will follow in 2042, with subsequent boats at three-year intervals.
