Australia and the United States are training officers and sailors for the first nuclear-powered submarine acquisition, set for 2032. The inaugural training cohort began in 2023, with three officers moving into an accelerated training pipeline, one of whom will be the first Australian Virginia-class commanding officer. Australia plans to build its submarine force to 3,000 from 800 currently, integrating with U.S. crews until it can stand up its own training pipeline.
AUKUS leaders have engaged in industrial, legislative, and acquisition activities to establish a trilateral submarine alliance. The plan, laid out in March 2023, involves patience and steady progress, despite separate legislative processes. Key milestones include reducing the backlog at Rolls-Royce’s factory and producing parts for a submarine that will not be in the water until 2042. The U.S. and Australia have finalized Foreign Military Sales cases for submarine training devices and passed legislative measures to support the alliance.
In the past year, achievements include the establishment of Submarine Rotational Force-West, passing vital measures in the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, and introducing Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety bills. Australian industry personnel completed training at Pearl Harbor, maintenance availability on American subs with combined American and Australian teams, and preparations for sensitive information sharing to enable Australia to fully utilize its future submarines.
