The Australian government’s naval shipbuilding infrastructure manager selected an Amentum-Laing O’Rourke joint venture to deliver a new nuclear-powered submarine construction shipyard in Australia, Amentum announced last week.
Amentum said in a press release that under this long-term contract as a “Capability Partner,” it and Laing O’Rourke will “play a central role in developing the new shipyard” at Osborne, north of Adelaide, where Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines will be built under the trilateral AUKUS agreement.
The joint venture was picked by Australian Naval Infrastructure (ANI) a government-owned business enterprise created in 2017 to support the country’s continuous naval shipbuilding and sustainment program. According to its website, ANI does this by owning, developing and managing the infrastructure and facilities necessary for its delivery. ANI is jointly held by the Australian Ministers for Finance and Defense.
ANI said its work also includes ensuring coordinated and efficient access to infrastructure across all shipbuilding and sustainment activities. All of this work is focused on adding to the new Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide, where the government chose to build the future SSN-AUKUS conventionally armed and nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs).
As a capability partner, the joint venture will specifically provide nuclear-related program management, construction management and safety leadership within ANI’s Integrated Delivery Office.
Amentum said the partnership will work closely with ANI to coordinate work packages, support contractor engagement and ensure “seamless interface management across the nuclear and non-nuclear areas of the submarine construction yard.”
The company also said the new yard should allow Australia to build and sustain SSNs, meaning it will house the facilities needed for SSN assembly, outfitting, testing and commissioning for the future SSN-AUKUS fleet.
The first SSN-AUKUS submarines are scheduled to first join the U.K. Royal Navy in the late 2030s and then have Australian built boats become active in the Royal Australian Navy in the early 2040s.