Australian industry programme builds pipeline for Virginia-class sustainment
The Australian Submarine Agency has a qualification pathway for local industry to support Virginia-class submarine sustainment. (Photo: General Dynamics Electric Boat)
Australian businesses can now bid to support Virginia-class submarine sustainment in Western Australia, as momentum around the Henderson Defence Precinct also builds.
Australian companies were invited to bid for a direct role in the sustainment of Virginia-class submarines in Western Australia (WA), with the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) opening a new stream of the Defence Industry Vendor Qualification (DIVQ) programme on 24 August 2026 ahead of Submarine Rotational Force-West, which begins in 2027.
For the first time, Australian businesses could submit expressions of interest through DIVQ to qualify for work supporting Virginia-class submarines operating from HMAS Stirling on Garden Island, south of Perth, expanding a programme that had previously focused on the US construction supply chain. ASC, the DIVQ programme’s
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