Australia's AUKUS partners sign submarine ‘mobilisation' accord

Australia has announced a new agreement between BAE Systems, ASC, and the government's Australian Submarine Agency to support the construction of the SSN-AUKUS submarines, shown here as an artist rendition. (BAE Systems)

The Australian government announced on 13 November a new ‘collaborative mobilisation' agreement between key partners in the country's programme to build nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) through its AUKUS alliance with the UK and US.

The Department of Defence (DoD) in Canberra said the accord was signed by the DoD's Australian Submarine Agency (ASA), government-owned shipbuilder ASC, and BAE Systems. ASC and BAE Systems were announced as SSN-AUKUS constructors in March 2024. The two companies plan to form a joint venture to oversee the SSN construction programme.

The DoD said the new mobilisation agreement will enable planning, workforce development, and procurement activities that will “set the foundations” for the SSN-AUKUS programme.

It will also facilitate a series of activities to be undertaken by ASC and BAE Systems that will support the companies' SSN-AUKUS joint venture. According to the DoD, under the agreement ASC and BAE Systems will:

Enabling agreement

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said the agreement will enable work on the SSN-AUKUS submarines to get under way while the details related to ASC and BAE Systems' joint venture are finalised.

“The mobilisation deed is a really important enabling agreement to allow the joint venture to happen,” Marles said. “The mobilisation deed enables work to continue while that joint venture is being sorted through, which is going to take some time.”