Under the auspices of the trilateral AUKUS arrangement between the US, UK and Australia, the new project – called SSN-AUKUS – will deliver new nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) to replace the UK Royal Navy’s Astute-class submarines from 2040, while providing the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) with its first new SSNs later in the 2040s.
Under the contract, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and Babcock will begin work on the detailed design and procure long-lead items for the SSN-AUKUS submarines, supporting work on the project through to 2028. The submarine will be based on the UK’s existing Astute-class SSN Replacement (SSNR) design but will incorporate