ASC selects first AUKUS collaboration partner

Australia’s submarine company, ASC, has named US veteran-owned defence contractor Orbis Sibr as its first US AUKUS capability collaboration partner. 

In a statement on Monday, ASC said Orbis will be engaged “to perform a Submarine Rotational Force-West (SRF-W) Gap Analysis to support ASC’s requirements to develop and deliver a SSN Submarine Support System Plan and a SSN Industrial Workforce Plan.”

Orbis has more than two decades’ experience in major US Navy programs.

“This marks a significant milestone in ASC’s journey towards maintaining Australia’s Virginia class submarines and we look forward to working with ORBIS to ensure a sovereign and enduring nuclear submarine capability for the nation,” said ASC CEO and Managing Director Stuart Whiley.  

ASC and BAE Systems Australia will jointly build the planned SSN-AUKUS vessels in a joint venture. Prior to that, ASC is the prime contractor for sustaining visiting UK and US submarines, as well as the Virginia Class submarines that Australia plans to acquire before that.

The Virginia submarines are expected to be in Australia in the early-2030s.

The Gap Analysis by Orbis will identify ASC’s recruitment and training needs for the AUKUS SSN sustainment program, and enable training placements in the USA for ASC employees related to Virginia Class sustainment. 

A first cohort of ASC staff to be trained in nuclear submarine sustainment, numbering about 30, were deployed to Pearl Harbor in the US in June.

Picture: credit ASC

Further reading

Submarine workers leave for Pearl Harbor AUKUS training

Companies welcome certainty over SSN-AUKUS sub construction

ASC snares $2.2 billion Collins sustainment contract

ASC can’t build a canoe, now trusted with N-submarines