The Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) has had a busy start to the year with a number of significant milestones achieved on the path to grow opportunities for Australia to join AUKUS Supply Chains.
In March, the ASA launched Australia’s AUKUS Submarine Industry Strategy. The Strategy outlines the prioritisation framework that will give businesses in Australia the confidence to invest in their own technical capabilities, personnel and facilities. To read the Industry Strategy, visit www.asa.gov.au/business-industry/australias-aukus-submarine-industry-st…
Australian industry will initially assist to sustain our partner’s visiting submarines before progressing to support the operation and sustainment of our sovereign Virginia-class submarines.
Also in March, as part of these uplift activities, the Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification (AUSSQ) Pilot was launched, with the Government having awarded a contract to Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) Australia. The AUSSQ Pilot aims to streamline and accelerate the qualification of Australian suppliers and products into the United States Submarine Industrial Base. The AUSSQ pilot is complementary to the Defence Industry Vendor Qualification (DIVQ) Program, under which there are now more than 14 Australian companies progressing towards qualification, with five already in contract.
These activities will develop the experience and capacity of Australia’s industrial base in preparation to build our own conventionally-armed nuclear-powered submarines for the first time in our history.
Most recently, the ASA hosted a Submarine Industrial Base Engagement Forum in Washington, D.C on 4 April, ahead of the US Sea Air Space (SAS) maritime exposition. The Forum brought together key US Government and prime US shipbuilding contractors, to engage directly with visiting Australian industry regarding US demand and experiences working within the submarine program.
The ASA has been working closely with Australian-based businesses providing a range of engagements to ensure we are assisting businesses to make helpful connections which will progress our shared goal of contributing under AUKUS to a resilient trilateral submarine industrial base.
The ASA will continue to engage through a range of Defence industry forums throughout 2025 to ensure we can connect with companies who are keen to participate in Australia’s NPS program. Representatives from over 200 Australian businesses have attended ASA industry engagement forums so far this year. You can register your interest to attend upcoming ASA industry engagement activities by providing your details to ASA.industryevents@defence.gov.au