As the largest military shipbuilder in the US, HII is committed to qualifying and integrating Australian suppliers into the Virginia-class submarine program. VEEM’s decades of experience in precision casting for the Collins-class submarines makes the company well positioned to become part of the global Virginia-Class submarine supply chain.

HII was pleased to visit VEEM with the deputy prime minister, the Hon. Richard Marles, to discuss the AUSS-Q. He said, “The Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification Pilot program, which is being run by HII and which VEEM is now in the final stages of. HII is America’s largest naval shipbuilder, and what it is doing through this program is qualifying Australian companies to participate in the supply chain of building US Virginia–class submarines. And this really speaks to one of the great opportunities of AUKUS because, at its heart, what AUKUS is seeking to do is to establish a seamless defense industrial base across the three countries.”

Tim Brown, Vice President of Operations for HII Nuclear Australia Pty Ltd., stated, “The AUSS-Q program is designed to qualify and elevate suppliers to contribute to the US Virginia-class submarine program. Companies like VEEM have already demonstrated their expertise, and this initiative will help integrate their capabilities into the broader supply chain. AUSS-Q is about uplifting already strong industrial capabilities and expanding those capabilities to support the long-term goals of AUKUS. I thank the government and the deputy prime minister for their support of this critical program, which will play a key role in Australia’s industrial mobilization under AUKUS.”

This milestone marks a step toward a seamless defense supply network between Australia, the US, and the UK. The AUSS-Q program is about unlocking new opportunities for Australian industry, creating high-skilled jobs, and strengthening the foundation for future AUKUS submarine production.