Players line up for AUKUS as Huntington Ingalls bets on Australia

The constructor of the United States’ Virginia class submarines Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) is the latest company to invest further in Australia on the promise of submarine construction under the AUKUS pact.

Babcock International, which has been positioning itself to provide infrastructure for nuclear powered submarines in Perth and Adelaide has combined with Newport News-based HII to ‘provide critical capability requirements’ for the AUKUS submarine programme’.

Australia is to buy Virginia class submarines from the US as it develops submarine building capabilities in Adelaide and nuclear vessel support and maintenance infrastructure in Perth where N-submarines will be based.

In August it appointed Fran Worthington as inaugural Managing Director, Nuclear to ‘take charge of Babcock’s contribution to the development of future military nuclear infrastructure and the acquisition of the associated nuclear licensing’.

Meanwhile HII already has a Canberra office and has provided maintenance, modernisation, unmanned systems development, engineering, design, logistics, prototyping, software development, network and database management and training locally

However HII is clearly eyeing a much larger Australian role as it builds and maintains Virginia class submarines in the US.

Its tie up with Babcock could easily lead to the development of a maintenance and support operation in Perth while in the longer term it could even be involved in constructing Australia’s future attack submarine fleet in Adelaide.

Babcock CEO David Lockwood said: “Working with HII in Australia to support the critical capabilities required to deliver the AUKUS programme is the next important step in our relationship and significantly strengthens our Australasian business.

“By harnessing Babcock’s heritage and capabilities to accelerate the development of sovereign capability in Australia, alongside HII’s extensive experience and expertise as America’s largest shipbuilding company, Babcock is strategically positioned to support the Australian government in the delivery of this critical programme.

“National security has never been more important and now more than ever, what we do matters.”

Babcock and HII will collaborate to develop the optimal models for nuclear-powered submarine capability, including infrastructure, sustainment and the necessary skills development, to support the AUKUS endeavour.

The parties will engage Australian industry to optimise specific solution sets and provide a true tri-lateral offering.

Babcock currently sustains 100 per cent of the UK’s Royal Navy submarine fleet and owns and operates the UK’s only licensed facility for refitting, refuelling and defueling nuclear submarines.

Further reading:
Babcock the latest to prepare for role in future nuclear submarines

Picture: HII/Virginia-class submarine Massachusetts under construction