SSN AUKUS is the generic class name given to date to the nuclear propelled conventionally armed submarines which are to be built in Australia at Osborne shipyards.

AUKUS Forum news: Australia’s $368bn nuclear-powered submarine project will be kickstarted with key deals to be inked in Adelaide. Defence Minister Richard Marles will sign a tripartite agreement to start preparatory work at Osborne Naval Shipyard, including recruiting workers and developing build program schedules setting the foundations for the project.

“Construction of Australia’s first SSN-AUKUS submarine will commence in Australia by the end of this decade and the work to deliver this capability is already well underway.

“This will be a whole-of-nation undertaking, one which will provide Australia with robust and resilient supply chains that enhance our national security.”

State Defence and Space Industries Minister Stephen Mullighan said the number of skilled South Australian defence workers was set to skyrocket, creating “thousands of highly-skilled, highly-paid career opportunities in the coming years and decades”.

BAE Systems Australia chief executive Craig Lockhart said the pathways program would boost existing schemes “to strengthen the pipeline of talent from schools into the workplace”.

“Finding thousands of Australians with the right skills to deliver the SSN AUKUS fleet sits high on the list of formidable challenges that lie ahead for the nation’s next generation submarine program,” he said.

Minister for Defence Richard Marles at ASC