21 Mar 24. UK and Australia commit to modernising and deepening defence relationship.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps signed a new Defence and Security Cooperation Agreement during a visit to Canberra.
A new Defence and Security Cooperation Agreement was signed today at Parliament House, Canberra, by Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles.
This agreement strengthens our partnership to meet the challenges of a more dangerous world.
It includes an agreement which will make it easier for our Armed Forces to operate together in each other’s countries, as is currently happening through Operation Interflex – the joint training of Ukrainian troops in the UK. It will also help facilitate UK submarine crews visiting Australia as part of the AUKUS partnership.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The UK and Australia fought side by side 80 years ago against tyranny on the beaches of Normandy. Today our two great nations continue to stand together to secure peace and prosperity the world over. We’re facing the challenges of a more dangerous world together, and through partnerships like this agreement, AUKUS, and our continued support to Ukraine, we’re defending our freedoms and shared values.”
Australia Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said: “Australia’s relationship with the UK is dynamic and enduring. From the UK’s leadership of support for Ukraine and efforts to address the Houthi threat, to increasing contributions in the Pacific and the Indo-Pacific, we continue to work closely together to support a global rules-based order. As the world becomes more complex and uncertain, we must modernise our most important partnerships.2
The agreements we reached today will secure this outcome into the future.
The agreement also formalises the already established practice of our nations consulting each other on issues that affect sovereignty and regional security.
The new agreement was signed after the Defence Ministers met for annual talks in Australia, ahead of wider meetings together with Foreign Ministers in Adelaide, known as AUKMIN.
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
21 Mar 24. UK firm appointed to build Australian AUKUS submarines.
The partnership between British firm BAE Systems and ASC Pty Ltd could be worth billions of pounds, in a major boost to the UK’s defence industry
British firm BAE Systems will partner with ASC Pty Ltd to build Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines, in a major moment for the AUKUS programme.
Meeting in Australia, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, and US Ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, welcomed the partnership.
The submarine builder deal follows months of negotiations and is a monumental success for British industry. BAE Systems have been at the heart of the UK’s submarine enterprise for generations and will bring their experience and excellence to deliver this important submarine for Australia.
First announced in September 2021, AUKUS is a trilateral security and defence partnership between Australia, the UK, and the US that will see our nations work together on a range of capabilities, including a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability for Australia.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: “In a more dangerous world, today’s announcement symbolises the huge confidence our close partner Australia has in our world-leading defence industry, including companies such as BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce.
Through these collaborations, British industry will grow, and thousands of jobs will be created across the country, delivering security and prosperity to our two nations.”
Opportunities through the AUKUS supply chain for British industry could be worth billions across the life of the Australian submarine programme. That includes Rolls-Royce, which will deliver the nuclear propulsion plants for the Australian programme.
As announced in March 2023, Australia has agreed to make a significant investment into the UK’s submarine industrial base, including Rolls-Royce, Sheffield Forgemasters, and their supply chains, to support the delivery of the Australian SSN-AUKUS programme. This investment, alongside funding from the UK Ministry of Defence, will enable the Rolls-Royce Derby site to double in size, with a further 1,170 highly-skilled jobs created.
CEO of BAE Systems, Charles Woodburn, said: “We’re extremely proud of our role in the delivery of this vitally important, tri-nation submarine programme. Our selection as a partner in Australia, alongside ASC, recognises our role as the UK’s long-term submarine design and build partner and as a key player in Australia’s maritime enterprise and wider defence landscape. Drawing on decades of experience in the UK and Australia, we look forward to working with ASC to develop an enduring, sovereign nuclear-powered submarine building capability for Australia.
We’re already making good progress on the design and development of the next generation submarine in the UK where we have more than 1,000 people working on the SSN-AUKUS programme and major infrastructure investment underway.”
This latest step will ensure an integral connection between the UK design and the build strategy development in Australia as we work together to deliver next generation military capability as well as considerable social and economic value to all three nations.
Rolls-Royce Submarines President, Steve Carlier, said: “Last year we were proud to welcome the Hon Richard Marles MP, Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence and UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps to our Raynesway site and showcase some of the world-class manufacturing and engineering capabilities we have developed over the last 60 years. This commitment of funding to our existing expansion work shows the trust Australia places on our nuclear expertise and our ability to deliver. We look forward to working with the Australian Submarine Agency to support them in building their own fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.
These jobs are part of the 7,000 additional British jobs that the UK’s and Australia’s AUKUS submarine programme will generate through their life. At the peak, there will be over 21,000 people working on the SSN-AUKUS programmes in the UK – concentrated in Barrow-in-Furness and Derby.2
The first UK submarines built to this design will be delivered in the late 2030s to replace the current Astute Class vessels, and the first Australian submarines will follow in the early 2040s.
The appointment of a builder by Australia comes a year after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Australian Prime Minister Albanese and US President Biden met in San Diego, where they announced that the first generation of AUKUS submarines would be based on the UK’s world-leading design. The AUKUS partnership is a demonstration of the commitment of Australia, the UK, and the US to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
The partnership has carried out extensive engagement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, with all countries committed to developing an approach which protects classified information and strengthens the global non-proliferation regime.
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
21 Mar 24. The Australian Government has selected BAE Systems and ASC Pty Ltd to build Australia’s new fleet of nuclear powered submarines in the latest significant development in the AUKUS trilateral security pact between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles, and UK Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps, announced the news in Australia, marking the next step in the pathway for Australia to build and operate its own nuclear powered submarines.
Under the AUKUS agreement, Australia and the UK will operate a common submarine of the future, incorporating technology from all three nations, based on the UK’s next generation design which BAE Systems is leading.
BAE Systems and ASC Pty Ltd will now bring together their complementary skills, expertise and capabilities under a collaborative arrangement in Australia, ultimately leading to the establishment of a long-term, incorporated Joint Venture.
Defence Secretary Shapps said: “In a more dangerous word, today’s announcement symbolises the huge confidence our close partner Australia has in our world-leading defence industry, including companies such as BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce. Through these collaborations, British industry will grow, and thousands of jobs created across the country, delivering security and prosperity to our two nations.”
BAE Systems Chief Executive, Charles Woodburn, said: “We’re extremely proud of our role in the delivery of this vitally important, tri-nation submarine programme. Our selection as a partner in Australia, alongside ASC, recognises our role as the UK’s long-term submarine design and build partner and as a key player in Australia’s maritime enterprise and wider defence landscape. Drawing on decades of experience in the UK and Australia, we look forward to working with ASC to develop an enduring, sovereign nuclear-powered submarine building capability for Australia. We’re already making good progress on the design and development of the next generation submarine in the UK where we have more than 1,000 people working on the SSN-AUKUS programme and major infrastructure investment underway. This latest step will ensure an integral connection between the UK design and the build strategy development in Australia as we work together to deliver next generation military capability as well as considerable social and economic value to all three nations.”
SSN-AUKUS will be the largest, most powerful and advanced attack submarines the Royal Navy has ever operated and will start to replace the Astute class, which BAE Systems is building at its site in Barrow-in-Furness in the North West of England, from the late 2030s. Australia expects to deliver its first SSN-AUKUS submarine in the early 2040s.
The UK Ministry of Defence awarded BAE Systems almost £4bn for the next phase of the SSN-AUKUS programme in October. The funding covers development work through to 2028, enabling BAE Systems to progress the detailed design phase of the programme and procure long-lead items. The award is also funding significant infrastructure investment in Barrow, which will see the site’s facilities double in size from 80,000 to 160,000 m2 by the late 2030s, as part of a multi-billion pound programme, and continued recruitment to support the national endeavour.
BAE Systems has already increased its UK submarines workforce to 13,500 with plans to grow to around 17,000 at its peak to support SSN-AUKUS in the UK, as well as the Astute and Dreadnought programmes, providing a significant employment boost for the region.
BAE Systems is the UK’s long-term submarine build partner and brings critical nuclear-powered submarine building experience and intellectual property. The involvement of BAE Systems in Australia ensures an integral connection between the SSN-AUKUS design led by BAE Systems in the UK and the development and maturation of the Australian build strategy.
BAE Systems has already delivered five of seven Astute class submarines to the Royal Navy in the UK, with the remaining two boats at advanced stages of construction at its shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness. The Company is also designing and building the UK’s next-generation nuclear deterrent submarines, Dreadnought, with construction underway on the first three of four new boats.
In Australia, BAE Systems has a long and proud heritage over 70 years providing advanced defence technology from air and maritime sustainment to shipbuilding, which protects both people and national security, keeping critical information and infrastructure secure.