12 RAN sailors and officers graduate from AUKUS n-power school

A total of 12 Australians have graduated from the United States Navy Nuclear Power School including the first seven Royal Australian Navy (RAN) enlisted sailors who joined RAN officers also graduating.

The 12 are the pioneers towards Australia acquiring and ultimately constructing a sovereign conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine (SSN) fleet in the early 2030s, according to the RAN.

The seven enlisted RAN sailors have been learning the science and engineering principles that are fundamental to the design, operation, and maintenance of naval nuclear propulsion plants.

The Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Mark Hammond said: “Naval Nuclear Power training is exceptionally rigorous and to have seven Australian sailors and five officers complete the programme and move on to Nuclear Power Training Unit takes us closer to operating our own SSNs.”

The graduates will start this month at the United States Naval Nuclear Power Training Command for training in shipboard nuclear power plant operation and maintenance.

The Director-General Australian Submarine Agency Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead said: “Thirty-seven months after AUKUS’ inception, we are well on our way to developing Australia’s SSN capability.

“Last month, Australian sailors conducted the first maintenance period on an SSN in Australia.

“Today we graduate the first enlisted personnel from an exceptionally rigorous school – already we have Australian officers serving aboard both U.S. and UK SSNs.”

RAN personnel are in various stages of the U.S. nuclear-powered submarine training pipeline to equip them with skills and experience aboard the U.S. Virginia Class SSNs that Australia will own and operate from the early 2030s.

Picture: Kellie Randall/RAN Warrant Officer Andrew Bertoncin congratulates a Royal Australian Navy sailor.