The announcement was made in Australia by UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, signaling the next stage in Australia’s plan to construct and run its own nuclear-powered submarines.
In accordance with the AUKUS agreement, Australia and the UK will jointly operate a future submarine that combines technology from all three countries and is based on the UK’s next-generation design, which is being led by BAE Systems.
Now, in Australia, BAE Systems and ASC Pty Ltd will combine their complementary knowledge, abilities, and skills under a cooperative agreement that will eventually result in the creation of an extended, incorporated joint venture.
Beginning in the late 2030s, the Astute class attack submarines, which BAE Systems is constructing at its facility in Barrow-in-Furness, North West England, will be replaced by SSN-AUKUS, the largest, most potent, and most sophisticated attack submarines ever deployed by the Royal Navy. Early in the 2040s, Australia plans to deliver its first SSN-AUKUS submarine.
In October, the UK Ministry of Defence granted BAE Systems about £4 billion for the SSN-AUKUS program’s next phase. The financing allows BAE Systems to move forward with the program’s detailed design phase and acquire long-lead items through to 2028. As part of a multi-billion pound initiative, the grant is also financing major infrastructure improvements in Barrow, which will see the site’s facilities increase in size from 80,000 to 160,000 m2 by the late 2030s, as well as ongoing hiring to support the national endeavor.
In order to support SSN-AUKUS in the UK as well as the Astute and Dreadnought programs, BAE Systems has already grown its workforce for UK submarines to 13,500, with ambitions to rise to over 17,000 at its height. This will significantly enhance employment in the area.
As the UK’s long-term submarine building partner, BAE Systems contributes valuable intellectual property and experience with building nuclear-powered submarines. The engagement of BAE Systems in Australia guarantees a crucial link between the evolution and growth of the Australian build plan and the SSN-AUKUS design, which is spearheaded by BAE Systems in the UK.
Five of the seven Astute class submarines built by BAE Systems have already been delivered to the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom; the two boats that are still under construction at the shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness are advanced in their construction. Additionally, the company is designing and constructing the Dreadnought, the UK’s next generation nuclear deterrent submarines, with work on the first three of the four vessels already under way.
With more than 70 years of experience in Australia, BAE Systems has a long and distinguished history of supplying cutting-edge defense equipment, from shipbuilding to air and maritime sustainment, protecting lives and national security while maintaining the security of vital infrastructure and data.