Eight AUKUS submarines will give Australia sufficient deterrence and combat capabilities.
Four defense giants have teamed up to develop the combat system for Australia’s new nuclear-powered submarines.
BAE Systems, Raytheon Australia, General Dynamics Mission Systems, and Thales have teamed up to develop and install the combat systems on the Royal Australian Navy’s AUKUS submarines.
Combat Systems for Nuclear Subs
The four companies signed a memorandum of understanding positing the establishment of the AUKUS Combat Systems Collaborative Team that will design, manufacture, and integrate combat systems in the AUKUS submarines.
The proposal is for a trinational command system for both navies that would be based on the existing AN/BYG-1 combat system. Designed and manufactured by General Dynamics, the AN/BYG-1 is a modular, open-architecture combat control system for submarines that integrates tactical control, payload and weapons control, and information assurance. The combat system is already in service in numerous subs, including the US Navy’s Virginia, Los Angeles, Ohio, Columbia, and Seawolf class submarines, as well as Australia’s Collins-class subs.
Of course, the defense companies will need to negotiate with the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy about the specific requirements and capabilities behind each combat systems suite.
The four defense giants signed the memorandum of understanding at the Indo-Pacific International Maritime Exposition.
“This Memorandum of Understanding is another strategic step forward to developing the most effective and advanced combat system for SSN-AUKUS, simultaneously strengthening Australia’s operational sovereignty and industrial capability,” Craig Lockhart, chief executive officer, BAE Systems Australia, said in a company press release.
BAE Systems (alongside ASC Pty Ltd) is also one of the two lead manufacturers behind the construction of the Australian submarines.
“By aligning with our industry and trilateral partners, this signing will accelerate and enhance combat system development that is interoperable by design, reaffirming our role as a trusted partner to the Commonwealth of Australia and Royal Australian Navy,” Lockhart added.
Under AUKUS, Australia will receive a total of eight subs and its first nuclear-powered attack submarines. However, the subs will not be armed with nuclear weapons but rather rely on nuclear power to operate. Nuclear-powered submarines can sail almost indefinitely and do not require fuel to operate. In many ways, during operations, they are limited by the number of victuals and ammunition they carry.
The Royal Navy will also be getting AUKUS submarines and expects to have the first vessels operational by the end of the next decade. In the UK, the AUKUS submarines will replace the Royal Navy’s seven Astute-class nuclear-powered submarines.
A Deal Beyond Submarines
Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States announced the AUKUS pact in the fall of 2021. For Canberra, it was a consequential foreign affairs decision. Up until that moment, the Australian military had partnered with France to buy submarines. The AUKUS pact meant that Australia walked back on that option, cooling its relationship with France. It was a conscious decision with one thing in mind: China.
China’s rise in the Indo-Pacific concerns Australia, as it threatens its national security and the stability of the region. Canberra calculates that the eight AUKUS submarines will give its military sufficient deterrence to prevent a conflict, but also sufficient combat capabilities to excel in one.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: DVIDS.
