Australia faces significant personnel challenges in building a workforce capable of operating nuclear-powered submarines under the $368bn Aukus trilateral defense arrangement with the United States and United Kingdom. The country plans to acquire between three and five Virginia-class submarines to replace its aging Collins-class vessels. These larger nuclear submarines require approximately 134 crew members each, nearly three times the complement needed for the current fleet.
Retired Admiral Peter Briggs cautioned that recruitment efforts must intensify substantially. Currently, the Royal Australian Navy has 230 personnel in various stages of US nuclear-power training, with about 145 having completed initial nuclear-training programs. The navy projects having 400 trained officers and sailors ready by 2030. However, Briggs estimated that operating an expanded submarine fleet would require approximately 3,000 trained submariners, compared with the current pool of about 850 qualified to operate Collins-class vessels.
The recruitment challenge extends beyond raw numbers. Operating nuclear submarines requires workers with more than a dozen different specialized trades, including sonar operators, radio technicians, cooks, and electricians. Briggs also highlighted complications arising from maintaining two different submarine types simultaneously, which would complicate training, logistics, maintenance, and supply-chain arrangements. The Australian government did not respond to inquiries regarding specific recruitment targets or workforce development timelines.
The USS Colorado, a Virginia-class submarine, arrived at HMAS Stirling naval base near Perth this week for routine maintenance and training purposes. The vessel will remain in port for approximately one month and is scheduled to return in late 2027 as part of the Submarine Rotational Force-West program. Starting in 2027, up to four US and one UK nuclear-powered submarine will rotate through the Australian facility to build operational expertise. Officials emphasized that nuclear-related exercises during the maintenance period would be simulated and that no radiological materials would be transferred.
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