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HII Australia has been awarded a $9.6 million contract to lead the Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification Pilot (SSQP). The initiative, set to run for two years with potential extensions, aims to strengthen Australia’s sovereign submarine industrial capabilities.
Minister for Defence Richard Marles emphasized the importance of the project, stating, “An Australian submarine industrial base capable of building and sustaining a persistent, potent, and sovereign multi-class submarine capability is vital to the defence of Australia. This pilot initiative with HII Australia is another important step toward achieving that goal.”
The SSQP will be executed in partnership with H&B Defence, a joint venture between HII and Babcock. The program’s primary focus is to fast-track the qualification of Australian suppliers and integrate them into the United States submarine industrial base.
“Qualifying Australian suppliers to operate within the US nuclear-powered submarine programs now will equip them with the appropriate level of accreditation to support Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine program,” said Tim Brown, Managing Director of H&B Defence.
HII has committed to collaborating with Australian enterprises, including those not yet involved in the submarine sector, to expand the country’s sovereign defence industrial base. The company also aims to link Australian businesses with global defence contractors in need of their products and services.
H&B Defence was founded to support all phases of Australia’s pathway to sovereign nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS Pillar 1. This includes workforce development, nuclear infrastructure design, submarine decommissioning, nuclear waste management, and future sustainment operations.
