- Australia Prime Minister and UK Defence Secretary visit
Barrow-in-Furness shipyard
- Follows AUKUS submarine joint announcement by UK, Australia
and US leaders
- Programme will deliver on the Prime Minister’s priorities by
supporting thousands of UK jobs over the coming decades
Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese and UK Defence
Secretary, have today visited the shipyard where the next
generation of AUKUS nuclear submarines will be built for the
Royal Navy.
Australia and the UK will both build the new submarines, known as
‘SSN-AUKUS’, to the world-leading British-led design, with
construction of the UK’s submarines taking place in
Barrow-in-Furness.
Australia will work over the next decade to develop its submarine
industrial base and will build its submarines in South Australia.
This massive multilateral undertaking will create thousands of
jobs in the UK in the decades ahead – delivering on the Prime
Minister’s priority to grow the economy – and building on more
than 60 years of British expertise designing, building and
operating nuclear-powered submarines.
The three AUKUS nations are committed to further collaboration
that will strengthen joint capabilities, enhance technology
sharing, and integrate our industrial bases while bolstering each
country’s security regime.
As part of today’s visit, the Australian Prime Minister and UK
Defence Secretary had the opportunity to engage with staff and
apprentices working on the construction of both the Astute-class
and Dreadnought-class submarines.
The first UK SSN-AUKUS submarines built by BAE Systems and
Rolls-Royce and will be delivered in the late 2030s to replace
the current Astute-Class vessels, with the first Australian
submarines following in the early 2040s.
Stability in the Indo-Pacific region is an enduring priority for
the AUKUS partnership and the interoperable submarine design will
ensure we stand side-by-side with our Australian and US allies to
face threats and deter aggression.
At its core, the AUKUS security partnership between the United
Kingdom, Australia and United States will promote a free and open
Indo-Pacific, seeking to ensure it is secure and stable for the
coming decades.
Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese
said:
My visit to Barrow-In-Furness underlines my personal commitment
to delivering this trilateral enterprise and the importance of
AUKUS.
I look forward to having Australians training alongside the
highly skilled submarine builders here in Barrow-In-Furness.
I thank Secretary Wallace for hosting me on this important visit.
To deliver the new submarines by the earliest possible date,
Royal Australian Navy personnel will be embedded in the Royal
Navy and US Navy, and – subject to necessary arrangements – at
British and American submarine industrial bases, by the end of
this year. This process will accelerate the training of
Australian personnel required for them to operate a submarine
fleet. In support of this objective, a number of Royal Australian
Navy personnel have commenced nuclear training in the UK.
The SSN-AUKUS submarines will be the largest, most advanced and
most powerful attack submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy,
combining world-leading sensors, design and weaponry in one
vessel.
This decades-long programme will create thousands of jobs both in
UK shipyards and across the supply chain, with billions of pounds
already invested in submarine building at multiple UK sites.
UK Defence Secretary, said:
The SSN-AUKUS submarines will protect the Euro-Atlantic region
for decades to come - and with their interoperable submarine
design, will ensure mutual compatibility with our Australian and
US allies - alongside supporting jobs across the UK and
demonstrating the experience and skill which embodies British
industry.
On the visit, the parties also toured BAE Systems’ training
academy that is helping develop the world-class engineering
skills required to design, build and deliver complex submarine
programmes.
As announced at the Budget in March, an additional £5 billion
will be provided to the Government over the next two years, some
of which will be spent on modernising the UK’s nuclear enterprise
and funding the next phase of the AUKUS submarine programme. This
will be followed by sustained funding across the next decade to
support the SSN-AUKUS programme.
