ASC uplifting Australian businesses into AUKUS supply chain

On behalf of the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA), Australia’s submarine company, ASC, is working with US industry partners to uplift Australian businesses into the AUKUS supply chain.

Through the Defence Industry Vendor Qualification (DIVQ) Program, ASC, General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII are seeking expressions of interest from Australian businesses that manufacture a range of parts, including – but not limited to – valves, castings, mechanical assemblies and fittings.

Businesses interested in participating in the DIVQ Program are invited to submit expressions of interest and capability statements to ASC. When suppliers successfully complete DIVQ, they will be qualified to supply Virginia-class submarine parts.

It’s the first time Australian and US submarine builders have collaborated to qualify suppliers for AUKUS, and as the DIVQ Program continues to progress, more businesses in other major product families will be targeted for qualification.

ASC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Stuart Whiley welcomed the collaboration between ASC, General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII.

“This is great news for Australian businesses that want to join the AUKUS supply chain,” Whiley said. “It’s also good news for the US. We’re not only building sovereign capability; we are also expanding trilateral supply chain capacity and resilience.

“The parts may be used for both build and sustainment, which means businesses could be part of the AUKUS supply chain for years to come.”

In March 2024, ASC was selected as the Australian Government’s Sovereign Submarine Partner to sustain and, together with BAE Systems, jointly build conventionally armed, nuclear-powered SSN AUKUS submarines at Osborne.

At Henderson Shipyard in Western Australia, ASC will deliver sustainment services for Australia’s future Virginia-class and SSN AUKUS submarines. And a secure sustainment site is also being built at HMAS Stirling for the Submarine Rotation Force-West which will see US and UK nuclear-powered submarines rotate through Australia from about 2027.