In the United States, major defense sector companies have proposed the creation of an AUKUS Combat Systems Collaborative Team, considering a potential role for Australia’s conventional weapons nuclear submarines, SSN-AUKUS, under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on Wednesday, November 5.
In particular, BAE Systems, Raytheon Australia, General Dynamics Mission Systems, and Thales propose to lead the design and lay the foundations for the production and integration of combat systems for SSN-AUKUS, under agreements to be negotiated with the Commonwealth of Australia and the UK Government.
The SSN-AUKUS program
The SSN-AUKUS will be based on the design of the UK’s new generation nuclear-powered attack submarine and will integrate the technology of all three nations.
The SSN AUKUS program involves the construction of a new nuclear propulsion attack submarine to meet the needs of the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy.
The SSN AUKUS submarine will have advanced stealth features, extensive endurance, and will integrate cutting-edge technologies to carry out various types of underwater missions.
The British, Australian, and American industries are participating in the program; the latter brings innovative technologies studied for the new versions of the Virginia class SSN.
Australia’s lack of nuclear
For Australia, the program foresees that the first locally built SSN-AUKUS will be delivered to the Royal Australian Navy in the early ’40s.
For the Oceania country, it is about building from scratch a shipyard capable of building submarines, let alone nuclear-powered ones; Australia practically starts from scratch, also because it does not have nuclear power plants for civilian energy production.
From the beginning of the next decade, the United States plans to sell three Virginia-class submarines to Australia, with the possibility of selling two more should the need arise to allow the RAN to gain experience and the country to manage a fleet of nuclear-powered boats.
The goals of the cooperation
The collaboration aims to meet the needs to provide a cutting-edge combat system for SSN-AUKUS to reduce programmatic and workforce risks throughout the program while accelerating the speed of achieving abilities.
Based on the memorandum of understanding, the parties have agreed to collaborate on the design of a trinational combat system of excellence as a shared solution for Australia and the UK in support of the SSN-AUKUS.
The AN/BYG-1 Combat Management System
This system is based on the current AN/BYG-1 Combat Management System of General Dynamics Mission Systems, co-funded by the United States and Australia, and leverages the existing industrial base and workforce to support both the US Navy and the Royal Australian Navy.
The AN/BYG-1 is an open architecture system that integrates tactical control, payload and weapons control, and information security.
The system is already installed on the Collins-class Australian submarines, as well as the Los Angeles, Ohio, Seawolf, Virginia class United States submarines and is planned for the upcoming Columbia class.
Source General Dynamics Mission Systems
Image credit @UK Ministry of Defense (UK MoD)
