H&B Defence, a collaboration between HII and Babcock, has obtained its inaugural contract aimed at improving supply chain capabilities for the global AUKUS initiative through the Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification Pilot Program.
This agreement formalizes its position as the delivery partner for HII’s initial AUD 9.6 million contract with the Australian Government. Over the next two years, the joint venture will spearhead a nationwide qualification process to identify Australian suppliers possessing the necessary skills and products to support the Virginia-class submarine and aircraft carrier construction programmes at Newport News Shipbuilding in the United States.
H&B Defence will assess capabilities across seven high-demand Work Packages to facilitate the delivery of the initial three nuclear-powered submarines as part of the AUKUS trilateral security partnership. The product categories encompass Castings and Forgings, Precision Machining, Air and Gas Flasks, Fabricated Parts, Composites and Glass Reinforced Plastic, Joinery, and Circuit Cards.
The process of shortlisting appropriate small and medium enterprises will begin in May, followed by formal technical evaluations and validations. H&B Defence will assist at every phase of Australia’s transition to sovereign nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS Pillar 1, which includes the development of workforce skills, the design and construction of nuclear infrastructure, submarine defueling and decommissioning, nuclear waste management, and future sustainment.
H&B Defence Board Chairman and HII Australia President, Michael Lempke said: “H&B Defence brings together the only two organisations worldwide with comprehensive expertise in every aspect of nuclear-powered submarine activities, and as such, is perfectly placed to support the acceleration and development of critical sovereign capability for the once-in-a-generation AUKUS submarine program.”
Babcock Australasia CEO and H&B Defence Non-Executive Director, Andrew Cridland said: “Securing this contract signals the beginning of a long-term commitment and willingness to deliver innovative, reliable solutions in support of Australia’s national security and that of our allies.”
“We’re proud to partner with HII and the Commonwealth of Australia to strengthen supply chain capabilities, ensuring seamless operations and long-term benefits for all members of the AUKUS alliance.”
AUKUS is a trilateral security alliance involving Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, aimed at fostering a secure and stable free and open Indo-Pacific region. This partnership was first announced in September 2021, and is structured around two main initiatives known as pillars.
The first pillar emphasizes Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered attack submarines to replace the current Collins-class diesel-electric submarines and the rotational deployment of US and UK nuclear-powered submarines in Australia. The second pillar focuses on the joint development of advanced capabilities across six technological domains: undersea capabilities, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence and autonomy, advanced cyber capabilities, hypersonic and counter-hypersonic technologies, and electronic warfare, as well as two broader areas of innovation and information sharing.
AUKUS is largely viewed as a strategic response to the perceived threat posed by the People’s Republic of China to the Indo-Pacific region.
