Under the agreement, Australian engineers will work alongside US experts on Virginia-class submarines. The aim is to accelerate skills development and establish a sustainable domestic combat-system integration capability, which will be critical to the future operation of Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines.
Photo: US Navy
Devon Rodgers, Vice President and General Manager of Undersea Mission Systems at Lockheed Martin, emphasized the strategic importance of the initiative:
“Australia is building a sovereign undersea capability that will serve its national security for decades to come. We’re honored to support that effort by applying our extensive combat system integration expertise to the AUKUS alliance, supporting the technical foundation for Australia’s future nuclear-powered submarines.”
Lockheed Martin and the ASA will conduct an extensive review of the Australian supply chain to identify companies that could join the global ecosystem for the production and integration of combat systems for Virginia-class submarines. This creates opportunities both for established companies and for new entrants seeking to participate in one of the most technologically complex sectors of the defense industry.
The project forms part of the broader effort by Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States to build a shared maritime security architecture. A sovereign combat-system integration capability is one of the key elements intended to provide future Australian submarines with full operational autonomy while also enabling them to participate in coalition operations in the Indo-Pacific.
Under the current concept, Australia is to acquire three used Virginia-class submarines from the United States, all from the Block IV variant. The rationale is to standardize logistics, training, and in-service support. Details regarding the specific submarines remain classified. The US Navy currently operates eight Block IV boats, with two more under construction. Australia is expected to take over selected Virginia-class submarines during the next decade. This will allow the Royal Australian Navy to begin building operational experience before the introduction of newly built nuclear-powered submarines in the 2040s. These future boats are known as SSN AUKUS, and their design process is expected to begin in the coming years. Around 200 Australian sailors are currently undergoing training aboard US nuclear-powered submarines.