The Australian and UK Governments have reached a significant milestone in the delivery of the SSN AUKUS fleet, a new generation of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Navy nd Royal Australian Navy.
The Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) signed a “Tasking Statement” with BAE Systems and ASC, laying out critical plans for build strategy, supply chain management, and workforce development.
“The Tasking Statement is an important step in establishing a sovereign nuclear submarine build capability in Australia. The program is anticipated to generate thousands of highly skilled jobs over its lifetime,” said Stuart Whiley, CEO of ASC.
He noted that today’s schoolchildren will be the future workforce behind Australia’s SSN AUKUS fleet. The collaboration will allow Australia to tap into the UK’s extensive experience in nuclear submarine construction.
Steve Timms, Managing Director of BAE Systems’ Submarines, highlighted the complexity of the task: “The safe build, test and commissioning of nuclear submarines is a hugely complex engineering endeavour. Through these agreements, we’re able to share our vast experience of nuclear submarine capabilities to support the build of submarines in Australia.”
The SSN AUKUS submarines, praised for their “stealth and endurance,” are designed for advanced underwater missions, including surveillance, intelligence gathering, and warfare. Craig Lockhart, BAE Systems Australia CEO, described the program as “a complex build challenge that industry partners are coming together to deliver.”
Work is progressing on defining delivery schedules, infrastructure at Osborne shipyard in Adelaide, and streamlining information transfer between Australia, the UK, and the US. This follows previous agreements, including an AUKUS Mobilisation Deed signed in November.
I like that, when it comes to the AUKUS class, they always have to explicitly state that they are ‘conventionally armed’ as if the dunderheads in some quarters just can’t grasp the idea that nuclear submarines don’t automatically carry nuclear weapons and are, at any moment, ready to wail and gnash teeth if this proviso is not included.
It’s the N word. Once upon a time, medical imaging using the phenomenon of nuclear magnetic resonance was known as NMR imaging. It has nothing to do with nuclear power, involving the resonance of atomic nuclei in strong magnetic fields. However, so many people were scared of the word nuclear, it’s now just called MRI, with the unmentionable letter N removed. If the Australian politicians were equally as squeemish, these submarines would be just be called SSAs and the N word would never appear again.
Hmmm…perhaps a contest to rename the SSN-A class would be in order. Understand that the AUV for the RRS Sir David Attenborough has appropriated the appellation Boaty McBoatface, however, surely other suitable contenders remain. Discuss (after consuming your favorite alcoholic beverage during this festive period)…🤔🍺🍹🍷🍸 😋😉
As we all know RRS Sir David Attenborough has no right to be called Sir anything, having not been launched by royalty. Inspired by this, we could have the Bogus Knights class of boats. Sir Bob Geldorf, Sir Geoffry Boycott, Sir Bernie Ecclestone, etc.
Although we should be wary of calling one Sir Anthony Blunt, for security reasons.
Common mistake of putting the ‘sir’ before Bob Geldorth’s name. He is southern Irish, therefore no ‘sir’ before his name.
I’m guessing they will reuse Oberon class names as its last submarine we shared with Australia.
I really wish I didn’t see your comment …
The RAN Sneaky Wallaby
The RAN That’s not a knife
The RAN Quiet McSneakyface?
The RAN Derby Darby
HMAS……..
Australia wanted 12 subs, Aukus will deliver 8.
Australia wanted to pay 96 BN, Aukus will cost 360 bn.
Australia wanted to build 12 ships, Aukus foresees 3, or 2,built locally.
Australia wanted its first subs by 2032, Aukus will start deliver from 2034.
Australia wanted to rely on solid industrial partners, Aukus will be provided by the UK and the US who cannot produce their own models in due time.
Australia wanted a tested design, Aukus model is not conceived yet .
Australia wanted to avoid environmental risks, Aukus will require to store ultra radioactive materials for at least 10 000 years.
Australia wanted to strengthen its defense and security , Aukus has started a nuclear armement race in the Indo-Pacific.
Australia wanted control of its strategic decisions, Aukus subs will be depending on American will.
Congrats !
Chris
The only part of your post that makes any sense is the cost increase. For the rest of it, I suggest a little more thought & research as to the facts & the how & why of things.
SSN are expensive. Everyone knows that. The question is really are they worth the cost. Australia seems to think so. So does UK, US & France.
It’s a Chinese Bot not real commentator.
I don’t think accuracy or logic was his aim, just trying either a wind up or issuing unquestioning statements on behalf of his Masters in their multi billion mind meld attempts, thus the patently ludicrous statements. The funniest one mind was ‘starting a nuclear arms race’, so I’m favouring the distinct possibly he’s a lobotomised Chinese humanoid bot as that sort of 180 degree reversal of reality with the delusion anyone here is going to believe it tends to be their or Russian propaganda strategy to argue black is white and earning their noodles.
‘Aukus has started a nuclear armement race in the Indo-Pacific.’
Interesting claim. Perhaps you can give more detail please.
It was going to be part of the 2026 Commonwealth games, where four athletes have to carry a tactical nuke twice around the track on a palanquin. Now Melbourne have given up on staging the games, the nuclear arms race has returned to being a Northern Hemisphere prerogative, with the running track at Faslane expected to be the venue. There have been rumours that the traditional Atlas Stones event, where armoured recovery vehicles are manhandled onto increasingly high stone plinths, may have to be cancelled to make way for the new arms race.
I think the logic from his/its point of view is simple, ie we can insult, lie, abuse, threaten you lot as much as we like but you dare say even a modest boo and you are causing World disorder. It’s been the argument of tyrants for centuries and the Chinese perfected it thousands of years back feeding it now with their overblown resentment of being downtrodden in an interlude between their imperialist historical antics. Russia, Iran gave similar anger management issues.
There is so much wrong with your comment that it’s hard to know where to begin. SSNs are not nuclear weapons, so there wouldn’t be a nuclear arms race. Most of the requirements you’ve laid out were drawn up when Australia was planning to purchase French diesel-electric subs, before Australia realised that it’s a crap idea and changed course. AUKUS subs are larger, have greater endurance and are likely to have VLS cells so will be more versatile. Do you by any chance have shares in Naval Group?
Funny how the usual subjects never mention a Russian transfer of nuclear propulsion technology despite the aggrieved Chinese being their closest mates apparently. Oh of course its mates rates innit when it comes to apparent grievance
Hilarious attempt at either trolling or disinformation.
Clickbait, ignore and move on.
Another little pink.
Congrats at writing the most ill informed twaddle I have seen on these pages for a long time.
The Chinese are kicking up because the don’t want a fleet of submarines which in the least match but will considerably exceed their own submarines capabilities. Which they can’t track or hope to find. They tried to embarrass the RN during a recent FoN of one of our carriers. The fact is that both the Sub hunting frigate escort and the Astute boat were tracking them from day one . By all accounts the mailed the subs track from the minute it left port to the Chinese. Eloquently sending the message, it could have been sunk whenever they wanted.
France delivered nothing, not even the first cut of steel , six years after signing the contract. That and that alone gave birth to AUKUS . The Suffren class is even further behind in it’s delivery schedule. The first of class was due in 2017 , the first has just recently been commissioned into service . The others are equally late and are smaller , less capable with an inferior weapons load . Is that what you would prefer?, The French offered no build whatsoever in Australia. They are an unreliable partner . That is the heart of the matter .
It’s ok he knows that it’s just an attempt to cause friction on all manner of levels.
Yeah but aukus is a dead fish in the water, every Australian lawmaker knows it, the deal will be scuppered by trump
Trump may try, but overall he runs into the problem that UK & Australia are US’s most reliable allies. They are also fellow 5 eyes members. He is a deal maker & the deal has already been done. Fiddle around the edges – yes, but the last time he tried to back out of a done deal with Australia did not go to plan.
Ukraine though, is another matter entirely. Ukraine are paying in blood, not cash.
Liking the aesthetic on the new concept images.
Stretched Astute with X-planes? Yes please.
Given the UK’s expertise in keeping Astutes at sea and servicable? Australia is in for a nasty shock.
No problem at keeping them at sea, the issue was having the dock facilities to maintain them afterwards. But don’t let facts spoil your propaganda.
there are two problems, the Astute SNAs and the port installations, however I would rather start with Astute SNA problems because the Trafalgar class SNAs had fewer problems, the more we advance in time the more we have programs that are always less good managed, I think that we should have, like the French, a Directorate General of Armaments (DGA)
Australia will also add 2 maintenance facilities to the mix (at least for AUKUS & Virginia subs). While Australia may have initiated this, US & UK did not get on board just to be nice to Australia. AUKUS is way more than the submarines that get the headlines.
You think another pandemic is coming?
Well that John will be fundamentally the job of the Australians themselves as none of the problem was with the subs themselves. They have ten years and much training to get it right in providing those facilities.
First Tempest now AUKUS. It has been reasonable few months.
“Bogus Knights” class, eh? 😁😉👍 Rather fitting for the Zeitgeist of this historical epoch, as opposed to Knights of the Round Table. Alternatively, perhaps some “Boogie Nights” characters? 😂