Lockheed Martin to Build Sovereign Submarine Combat Systems Capability in Australia Under AUKUS

Lockheed Martin Australia will establish a sovereign combat systems integration capability for Australia’s future Virginia-class submarines under a multi-year agreement worth A$29.3 million.

At a Glance

• Multi-year agreement valued at A$29.3 million.
• Scope: infrastructure, technical skills, training, technology transfer, industrial partnerships and workforce development.
• Work centered in Western Australia, creating more than 20 combat systems engineering jobs in year one.
• Lockheed Martin Australia already employs over 470 people in maritime combat systems in the region.
• The program supports Australia’s preparation to operate and sustain nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS.

What the Agreement Covers

The A$29.3 million multi-year agreement tasks Lockheed Martin Australia with building a sovereign capability to update and maintain the combat systems of the Virginia-class submarines Australia is set to acquire. The package spans infrastructure development, technical skill-building, training programs, technology transfer processes, industrial partnerships and workforce development.

The work will be centered in Western Australia, where the company’s maritime combat systems workforce already exceeds 470 people; more than 20 combat systems integration engineering positions will be created in the first year.

A Critical Link in AUKUS Preparation

Rear Admiral David Mann underlined that “combat system integration is critical to the capability and effectiveness of our future submarine fleet,” while Lockheed Martin Australia chief executive Jeremy King said the effort “builds the workforce and sovereign capability that will underpin Australia’s future submarine enterprise.”

The agreement supports the AUKUS timeline under which the United States is to sell Virginia-class boats to Australia from the early 2030s, with HMAS Stirling in Western Australia hosting rotational US and UK submarine deployments from 2027.

Why It Matters

The hardest part of transferring nuclear submarines is not the hulls but the receiving nation’s ability to sustain their systems independently. This agreement shows how AUKUS’s sovereign-capability promise is actually being built, engineer by engineer.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Australia receive Virginia-class submarines?

Under the AUKUS schedule, the US is expected to sell at least three Virginia-class boats to Australia from the early 2030s.

Sources

• defence-industry.eu (10 August 2026) — Agreement value, scope, employment figures and official quotes.