Key AUKUS agreements will enable Australia to develop, operate and sustain a nuclear-powered submarine capability in partnership with the United Kingdom and the United States.
AUKUS agreement for cooperation on naval nuclear propulsion
Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States have together reached another significant AUKUS milestone, with the signing of an agreement to enable cooperation that is essential to Australia’s capacity to safely build, operate and maintain a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability.
The Agreement Among the Government of Australia, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Government of the United States of America for Cooperation Related to Naval Nuclear Propulsion was tabled in the Australian Parliament(Opens in a new tab/window) on Monday, 12 August 2024.
The agreement will enable the UK and the US to transfer submarine-specific material and equipment for Australia’s future nuclear-powered submarines.
It will also allow the continued communication and exchange of information related to nuclear-powered submarines among AUKUS partners.
The agreement will be central to Australia’s acquisition of a sovereign nuclear-powered submarine capability from the 2030s, with the transfer of Virginia class submarines from the US to Australia, and the transfer of equipment from the UK for use in Australia’s SSN AUKUS submarines.
It will also enable Australia to prepare for Submarine Rotational Force-West at HMAS Stirling from 2027, supporting the rotational presence of up to four Virginia class submarines from the US and one Astute class submarine from the UK.
Consistent with the commitment of AUKUS partners, the agreement will see Australia uphold the highest standards for safety, security and non-proliferation.
Future SSN-AUKUS submarines will be built at Osborne in South Australia, using sealed, welded power units that will not require refuelling over the life cycle of the submarine.
Australia is committed to the global nuclear non-proliferation regime. The agreement expressly rules out enriching uranium or reprocessing spent nuclear fuel in Australia as part of AUKUS and prevents AUKUS partners undertaking any activity that would contravene international non-proliferation obligations.
Importantly, the agreement re-affirms, and is consistent with Australia’s international non-proliferation obligations, including under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty and our safeguards agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
As a responsible nuclear steward, Australia will manage all waste generated by its own Virginia class and SSN-AUKUS submarines. Australia will not process spent nuclear fuel or reactors from the US, UK or other countries.
The agreement replaces the Exchange of Naval Nuclear Propulsion Information Agreement, which entered into force in 2022.
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Bilateral Nuclear-Powered Submarine Partnership and Collaboration Treaty
On 26 July 2025 in Geelong, Australia, the Honourable Richard Marles MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Australia and the Right Honourable John Healey MP, Secretary of State for Defence, United Kingdom (UK) signed the bilateral Nuclear-Powered Submarine Partnership and Collaboration Treaty (the Geelong Treaty) at the UK-Australia Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Geelong, Victoria.
The National Interest Analysis [2025] ATNIA 7 and Nuclear-Powered Submarine Partnership and Collaboration Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland [2025] ATNIF 25 was tabled in the Australian Parliament(Opens in a new tab/window) on Monday, 28 July 2025.
The Geelong Treaty is a historic agreement, the commitment for the next 50 years of UK-Australian bilateral defence cooperation under AUKUS Pillar I.
The Geelong Treaty will enable comprehensive cooperation on the design, build, operation, sustainment, and disposal of our SSN-AUKUS submarines.
It will support the development of the personnel, workforce, infrastructure and regulatory systems required for Australia’s SSN-AUKUS programme, as well as support port visits and the rotational presence of a UK Astute-class submarine at HMAS Stirling under Submarine Rotational Force – West.
The Treaty builds on the strong foundation of trilateral cooperation between Australia, the UK and the United States, advancing the shared objectives of the AUKUS partnership. It will enable the development of SSN-AUKUS and resilient trilateral supply chains.
Importantly, the Geelong Treaty is consistent with Australia’s and the UK’s respective international nuclear non-proliferation obligations, including under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty and its Protocols, and Australia’s safeguards agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the trilateral AUKUS Naval Nuclear Propulsion Agreement (ANNPA).
Together with the ANNPA, the Treaty will enable Australia and the UK to deliver a cutting-edge undersea capability through the SSN-AUKUS programme, and in doing so, support stability and security in the Euro‑Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific for decades to come, drive defence as an engine for growth across our two nations, create thousands of jobs, build our respective submarine industrial bases and supply chains, and provide new opportunities for industry partners.