Honeywell to deliver AUKUS submarine industrial base pilot program

Diversified US industrial giant Honeywell has been awarded a contract of undisclosed value by the BlueForge Alliance to deliver the AUKUS Submarine Industrial Base (SIB) pilot program in Australia. For this program Honeywell says it will establish an enhanced security framework that will underpin a safer, more secure, reliable and effective technology transfer to activate Australian Industry to support the conventionally armed, nuclear-powered Virginia–Class submarine production, sustainment, and operational readiness.

The two-year pilot contract was awarded by BlueForge Alliance on behalf of the AUKUS Acquisition and Integration Office of the US Navy. The contract, enacted under the US State Department’s amended International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) will see Honeywell pick a number of vendors to whom it can securely transfer engineering design data and Intellectual Property (IP). The ITAR Regime is routinely criticised for being highly restrictive, but amendments resulting from the AUKUS program have reportedly made it much easier for the three AUKUS partners to share goods and technology.

The AUKUS enhanced trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States was announced in 2021. The partnership strengthens the combined industrial capacity of the three countries, with increased cooperation making trilateral supply chains more robust and resilient, the company said in a statement.

One of the priorities for the AUKUS partnership is to develop the nuclear stewardship required to grow Australia’s ability to secure the supply chain for the Virginia–class Submarine programs, Honeywell’s statement added. This will involve a network of suppliers and partners powered by a local workforce of more than 30,000 people in Australia and 100,000 in the United States.

Following the contract award, Honeywell says it will support the AUKUS SIB pilot program team by establishing a secure network of suppliers and partners to support production and operation submarine fleet. 

“AUKUS is an industry-building endeavor and the top Australian defense program of our time, and we are proud to be part of the team that is mobilizing these projects to bolster Australia’s defense capability,” said Mr Lee Davis, Head of Defence and Space Australia, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. “With a heritage of supporting nuclear stewardship in the US industrial base for the conventionally armed, nuclear powered Virginia-class submarine program, combined with submarine component production in all three AUKUS regions, Honeywell is uniquely positioned to lead the formation of AUKUS Team SIB.” 

Honeywell is working on the program with US-based partners that include Orbis Sibro Inc., Argus Enterprises and Massa Products Corporation as well as Australian partner Senetas. Additional Australian companies are also expected to be selected during the pilot program. Together, this team will deliver the AUKUS SIB pilot program over the next two years. 

“We’re looking forward to bringing our technical expertise and extensive experience with submarine design, acquisition, sustainment and logistics support to AUKUS Team SIB and assisting to mobilize this groundbreaking partnership,” said Charlie Grabenstein, President, Orbis Sibro Inc.

“As a proudly Australian, global company, we are honoured to … have the opportunity to integrate our experience in creating state-of-the-art networks with the goal to securely enhance its long-term growth,” said Andrew Wilson, CEO, Senetas.