The Australian and UK Governments have announced a significant milestone between the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) and industry partners that will support the delivery of the SSN AUKUS fleet of locally built, conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy. The SSNA platform will replace the Astute Class SSN for the UK Royal Navy…
The federal government has begun work on a new training facility at HMAS Stirling naval base in Western Australia to train the future submariner workforce. The $200 million training school will complement training already underway in the United States and the United Kingdom and develop skills as: Communication Networks Operators Submariner Electrical Fitters Electronics Technicians…
The federal government has awarded several contracts under a qualification process that paves the way for the Australian businesses to enter UK and US submarine supply chains as part of the AUKUS pact. The Defence Industry Vendor Qualification (DIVQ) Program aims to enable Australian businesses to supply their products and services into the AUKUS trilateral…
Defence engineering firm Babcock Australasia has launched a new International Engineering & Technology Hub in Melbourne, as part of increased research and development efforts including projects under the AUKUS pact. The $3.5 million Abbotsford facility will drive engineering initiatives supporting Babcock’s global operation and is designed as a collaborative environment for engineers and technologists to…
Submarine maintenance and construction staff working at government-owned shipyard ASC in Adelaide have been given wage parity with colleagues doing similar work in Perth – but it has taken a year long wage dispute to achieve it. In a dispute that saw ASC CEO Stuart Whiley dig in against union demands only to eventually decide…
The federal government is unconcerned about the future of the AUKUS agreement and the construction of nuclear powered submarines in Australia under a Trump presidency, and will press on with developing the workforce and infrastructure at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide, according to Defence Minister Richard Marles. Marles, who is also Deputy Prime Minister,…
The Manufacturing Industry Skills Alliance (Manufacturing Alliance) has launched a national project to meet the growing demand for skilled workers in defence manufacturing, including submarine manufacturing now underway. The move follows Wednesday’s announcement of the start of the industrial campaign which will ultimately see BAE Systems and ASC construct SSN-AUKUS nuclear powered submarines at the…
The federal government has begun the industrial campaign which will ultimately see Australia construct SSN-AUKUS nuclear powered submarines at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide. In March it was announced that the submarines, to follow on from the arrival of interim US nuclear powered vessels for service in the 2040s, are to be constructed by…
Five South Australian companies will undertake a programme to help them enter the global supply chain for nuclear-powered submarines, under an agreement with the United States’ largest shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII). The state government has partnered with HII through HII Nuclear Australia Pty Ltd (HII-NA) to accelerate the development of the state’s defence industry…
By Peter Roberts The award of a second contract in the United States for shipbuilder Austal to build facilities for constructing modules for US nuclear powered submarines should put paid to talk of allowing the Perth shipbuilder to be taken over by Korean interests. Austal USA has been awarded a $220 million (US$152 million) contract…
