Aussie manufacturers move closer to joining AUKUS submarine supply chain

Led by the Australian Submarine Agency, the program is designed to help Australian companies demonstrate that they can meet the rigorous technical, quality assurance and certification standards required to manufacture components for allied nuclear-powered submarines. Success would allow Australian firms to compete for work not only on the future SSN-AUKUS fleet but also across existing US and UK submarine sustainment and construction programs.

At the centre of the initiative is additive manufacturing, commonly known as metal 3D printing, which is increasingly being adopted by navies around the world to produce complex, high-strength components more efficiently than traditional manufacturing methods.

First Assistant Director-General Workforce, Industry and Supply Chain Kylie Wright stressed the growing importance of Australia’s additive manufacturing sector and businesses like AML3D saying, “Australian companies are demonstrating world-class advanced manufacturing capabilities, and initiatives such as the DIVQ Additive Manufacturing stream are helping align those capabilities to the future needs of the AUKUS submarine enterprise.”

The technology offers significant advantages for submarine construction, enabling faster production of intricate parts, reducing material waste and strengthening supply chain resilience while supporting rapid prototyping and accelerated capability development.

For Australia, developing these capabilities represents far more than a manufacturing opportunity. Participation in allied submarine supply chains is a key objective of the AUKUS partnership, providing Australian companies with access to advanced technologies, specialised manufacturing expertise and decades of high-value defence work.

The qualification program also reflects a broader shift in Australia’s defence industrial strategy, which increasingly seeks to embed Australian businesses within allied production networks rather than limiting local industry to domestic procurement programs.

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By meeting US and UK certification requirements, Australian manufacturers will be positioned to contribute components across multiple submarine classes, creating export opportunities while strengthening the resilience of the trilateral industrial base underpinning AUKUS.

The initiative builds on Australia’s AUKUS Submarine Industry Strategy, which identified advanced manufacturing as one of the critical capabilities required to support the construction, sustainment and long-term operation of nuclear-powered submarines.

As work accelerates on expanding the Osborne Naval Shipyard and developing Australia’s sovereign submarine enterprise, additive manufacturing is expected to become an increasingly important enabler of both domestic production and international collaboration.

Companies capable of meeting the exacting standards of nuclear submarine construction are likely to find opportunities extending well beyond the Australian fleet, supplying components into allied programs for decades to come.

For Australian industry, the qualification program represents another tangible milestone in AUKUS implementation. While the future submarines remain years from entering service, the industrial foundations are being established now, ensuring Australian manufacturers are equipped to play a meaningful role in one of the most sophisticated defence manufacturing ecosystems in the world.

“By working closely with industry and our international partners, we are creating pathways for Australian businesses to participate in trilateral submarine supply chains and contribute to a more resilient and integrated industrial base,” Wright said.

Stephen Kuper

Author

Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.

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