Royal Navy: MoD strengthens ties with Australia nuclear submarine programme - sailors graduate from HMS Sultan

New defence secretary John Healy and Australian deputy prime minister Richard Marles met to discuss future UK and Australian nuclear-powered submarines yesterday. This comes as the first three Royal Australian Navy officers graduated from the Royal Navy’s Nuclear Reactor Course at HMS Sultan in Gosport.

Graduates will serve in Astute-class submarines, which work side by side with the UK to gain first-hand at-sea experience with naval nuclear propulsion technology. Both countries are developing the skilled workforce necessary to operate the vessels under the AUKUS programme.

Mr Healey said: “Working with allies and partners is fundamental to our security and so it is a pleasure to host my Australian counterpart within my first fortnight as defence secretary. The UK and Australia are the closest of friends and our work through AUKUS is testament to this.”

Mr Marles added: “Australia and the United Kingdom’s relationship is enduring and forged in deep history. Be it under the defence and security cooperation agreement, or the work we continue to achieve under AUKUS, we are modernising our partnership. And importantly, we continue to work together on our support for Ukraine and to support a global rules-based order.”

The defence secretary, Labour MP for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough, South Yorkshire, gave a tour of the key military steel supplier in Sheffield to show how the business is benefitting from the programme. AUKUS is a strategic partnership between the UK, USA and Australia. The programme is expected to generate 7,000 additional British jobs, with plans for over 21,000 people working on the SSN-AUKUS programmes in the UK supply chain at its peak.

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke to his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese to reaffirm the relationship. Mr Healey added: “Sheffield Forgemasters is a shining light of UK industry that helps boost global security and employs skilled staff from the local community. This is just one example of how our hugely important partnership with our Australian and American partners can help drive jobs and growth across Britain.”

Mr Marles also visited HMNB Clyde in Scotland to see how the UK operates its nuclear submarine base, which included being shown a Astute Class submarine and the UK approach to the operation, maintenance and regulation of these attack vessels.