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Australia Will Only Buy Used Virginia SSNs For AUKUS; UUV Tech To Be Pillar II Signature Project

Australia Will Only Buy Used Virginia SSNs For AUKUS; UUV Tech To Be Pillar II Signature Project
The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Vermont (SSN-792) is at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia in late October 2025 for a scheduled Submarine Maintenance Period (SMP), marking the first time Pearl Harbour Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility will lead and execute SSN maintenance in Australia. (Photo: Royal Australia Navy, ABIS Jaxsen Shinners)

The defense ministers of the three AUKUS partners last Saturday announced Australia will now exclusively buy used American Virginia-class attack submarines (SSNs) and that the first “signature project” of Pillar II will be joint development of Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) payloads and enabling systems. According to a joint statement released by the U.S. secretary of defense and the British and Australian defense ministers, they welcomed a proposed approach to “streamline Australia's acquisition of Virginia-class submarines” by acquiring three in-service boats…

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