Who can participate
There will be significant opportunities for Australian industry to be part of Australia’s conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarine program – from the delivery of the Submarine Construction Yard in Osborne, South Australia and infrastructure works at HMAS Stirling, Western Australia to the build of our SSN-AUKUS submarines, their operation, sustainment and eventual disposal. There will be a range of opportunities for involvement in the supply chains of our AUKUS partners by contributing to the maintenance of their submarines and manufacturing components for their production lines.
Australian industry will have opportunities to contribute right from the beginning, working with ASC Pty Ltd (ASC) as the Sovereign Submarine Partner for sustainment, as well as with ASC and BAE Systems as the Sovereign Submarine Partner for the build of our SSN-AUKUS submarines.
Defence Industry Vendor Qualification
Established in 2024, the Defence Industry Vendor Qualification (DIVQ) Program is a government-led initiative delivered in partnership with industry. It streamlines the qualification of Australian businesses to supply products and services into trilateral (Australia, UK, US) submarine supply chains.
Initially focused on the US, the DIVQ program is being progressively rolled out in a series of ‘Waves’ grouped by product category and/or production type. Products or production types in focus are determined based on a rolling analysis to identify and validate priority industrial requirements for supply chain resilience.
Qualification activities are conducted in Australia by US shipbuilders General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding in collaboration with ASC. Australian companies that meet the required standards to progress through to become qualified may be listed in the US Supply Catalogue and gain access to future commercial opportunities.
Planning is underway to commence a program focused on qualifying Australian businesses to contribute to the UK’s near term conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarine sustainment requirements. This initiative will align with the anticipated needs of Submarine-Rotational Forces West.
Qualification is a critical step for Australian companies seeking to participate in any phase of the trilateral submarine supply chains. Once qualified, businesses may be considered for supplying components that contribute directly to submarine construction and sustainment—strengthening the resilience of the AUKUS industrial base.
Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification
In order to increase the overall pace and quantity of Australian supplier qualification, the Australian Government is piloting the Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification (AUSSQ) Program which will see Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) Australia deliver supplier and product qualification services for HII’s United States supply chain.
The program will use a B2B model, enabling HII Australia to work directly with Australian businesses to qualify both the businesses and their products, and subsequently assist them to tender for supply into the US programs.
This activity will complement the DIVQ program, providing additional opportunities for Australian industry to access US supply chains.
ASC BAE Supply Chain Qualification Program
The Australia’s Sovereign Submarine Build Partner Supply Chain Qualification Program is a new industry-led initiative delivered by ASC and BAE Systems. The program supports the qualification of Australian businesses to supply products and services into the Australian and UK nuclear-powered submarine (SSN AUKUS) build programs.
The program provides Australian industry with an opportunity to contribute proven capabilities and expertise to the sovereign submarine enterprise, strengthening the resilience and depth of the trilateral submarine industrial base.
Initially, ASC and BAE Systems will seek expressions of interest from Australian suppliers capable of delivering a range of metal fabrications, from small components through to large structural fabrications. This opportunity is open to existing defence suppliers as well as companies seeking to enter the defence industry supply chain.
Australia’s SSN AUKUS submarines will be a trilaterally developed capability, based on the UK’s next generation design and incorporating advanced technologies from all three AUKUS partners, including cutting edge US submarine technologies.
With construction of Australia’s first SSN AUKUS submarine at Osborne planned to commence by the end of the decade, the program will support significant workforce growth, with around 5,500 jobs expected to be created in South Australia.
Expressions of interest are now open via the SSN AUKUS Build Program Industry Capability Network (ICN) Portal(Opens in a new tab/window).
Accelerating pre-qualification
Streamlining the pre-qualification process for suppliers through the Defence Industry Security Program (DISP) and the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) requirements, to reduce industry barriers in supplying products and services to Defence.
For more information, see the following: