Two companies selected to build Australia’s first nuclear-powered submarines

The Australian government has selected UK defence firm BAE Systems and South Australia-based shipbuilder ASC for the construction of Australia’s new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines as part of the AUKUS trilateral security pact between the United States, the UK, and Australia.

Under the AUKUS agreement, Australia and the UK will operate a common submarine design that will incorporate technology from all three nations and will be based on the UK’s next generation design.

BAE Systems said SSN-AUKUS will be the largest and most advanced attack submarines the Royal Navy has ever operated. It will start to replace the Astute-class boats, which BAE Systems is building at its site in Barrow-in-Furness in the North West of England, from the late 2030s.

The Royal Australian Navy is scheduled to take delivery of its first SSN-AUKUS submarine in the early 2040s. This class of nuclear-powered submarines will be the first vessels of their kind in Australian service.