Four Australian companies received Australian government contracts for a qualification process that will eventually let them work in and contribute to U.S. and U.K. submarine supply chains, the government in Canberra said this week.
These four approvals, announced Wednesday, will allow the companies to manufacture samples of standard U.S. Navy valves and pipe fittings as part of their qualification process, which Australia said is a “critical step” to becoming approved vendors in the U.S. submarine industrial base.
The government awarded contracts to HIFraser, Mack Valves, Bale Defence and STAUFF Corporation under the Defence Industry Vendor Qualification (DIVQ) Program that seeks to allow Australian businesses to supply their products and services to the AUKUS submarine industrial base.
AUKUS is an agreement between the U.S., the United Kingdom and Australia established in 2021 to help Australia build nuclear-powered, conventionally armed submarines by the 2040s, in part by selling the country U.S.-made Virginia-class submarines in the 2030s.
The Australian government said the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) is working with the U.S. and U.K. via the DIVQ program to help “streamline processes and support the qualification of Australian businesses and their products and services.”
Once the companies are fully qualified they will be able to receive orders to manufacture and supply valves and pipe fittings for construction and sustainment of various U.S. naval platforms, including Virginia-class attack submarines.
A version of this story was first published by Exchange Monitor affiliate Defense Daily.
