HMS ANSON arrives in Australia in AUKUS partnership first

Image courtesy Royal Navy

AUKUS is the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the UK and the US to build new attack submarines and develop advanced military technology that will help protect all three nations, drive growth and support security in a new era of threat.

The visit is a crucial part of the ongoing process of supporting Australia to develop the skills and capabilities necessary to operate, maintain and steward conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines. Waiting for the submarine – normally based at Faslane on the Clyde – was Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Paul Beattie.

In a major milestone for the AUKUS programme, Australian personnel will work alongside UK engineers to conduct maintenance of HMS ANSON, an Astute-class submarine, for the first time. The visit will help them build the skills and knowledge they need to maintain the conventionally armed, nuclear-powered AUKUS submarine fleet in the future.

SSN-AUKUS will be the most powerful attack submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy, creating more than 7,000 new jobs across the UK supply chain including in Barrow, Cardiff and Glasgow and backing 21,000 jobs at peak production.

The UK has invested £6 billion since summer 2024 into critical infrastructure at Barrow and Derby that will realise the ability to construct a new AUKUS submarine every 18 months.

The partnership is making defence an engine for growth. The benefits are already being felt with more than 3,000 new jobs delivered across key UK nuclear sites since this government came into office in July 2024.

An additional 4,400 construction roles are expected to be created over the coming years.

This government is stepping up on defence, delivering the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War – 2.6% of GDP from 2027 – to ensure that Britain and our allies are safe.

The AUKUS partnership is a huge part of the UK’s NATO-first commitment to lead on innovation and delivery in the trans-Atlantic alliance. 

AUKUS recognises the indivisibility of Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific economies and security and will protect and defend our allies’ shared interests in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

Defence Secretary John Healey MP said: "In December, I promised that the UK is all in on the AUKUS partnership, and full steam ahead working with our Australian and US partners.

"In this new era of threat, with our adversaries working more closely together, partnerships like this are our greatest strength. I’m proud of the exceptional UK and Australian personnel and our industries who will work together over the coming months to drive forward delivery of this programme – creating good jobs and opportunities across our nations.

"AUKUS will deter adversaries, boost deterrence and develop the next-generation capabilities that will help make the UK secure at home and strong aboard."

The submarine was welcomed to Western Australia by Sir Stephen Lovegrove, the UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative on AUKUS. He said: "The arrival of HMS ANSON marks a decisive step forward for AUKUS, both as a powerful symbol of the UK’s enduring commitment to the Indo Pacific and as a practical opportunity to develop the skills Australia will need to operate and sustain nuclear powered submarines.

"AUKUS is an unprecedented, multi-decade collaboration between the UK, Australia and the US to turbocharge our industrial bases and deliver the cutting-edge capabilities we need to maintain our strategic advantage."

The submarine visit follows the AUKUS defence ministers’ meeting in Washington DC in December 2025, where Defence Secretary John Healey MP and his counterparts declared ‘full steam ahead’ and all three nations committed to driving delivery on the partnership. This milestone also demonstrates the UK delivering on the recommendations in the Strategic Defence Review, published last year.

The Astute-class submarine’s visit to HMAS Stirling on Garden Island, near the city of Perth in Western Australia, is an important moment in the AUKUS partnership, supporting Australia to develop the skills and capabilities it needs to operate and maintain its fleet of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines that will support stability in the Indo-Pacific.

In the coming weeks, training activities and joint maintenance including work on the submarine’s hydraulic systems, in-water engineering works and simulated emergency response exercises will take place.

Australian companies will play a central role in the maintenance efforts, with five local businesses manufacturing components specifically designed to be installed on the submarine. Working with local industry is part of building an integrated industrial base across all three nations, adding resilience to submarine supply chains and creating new growth opportunities.

Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Paul Beattie, who was at HMAS Stirling to witness the submarine’s arrival, said: "It is a privilege to welcome HMS ANSON to Australian waters for the first time, standing alongside our Royal Australian Navy and United States Navy partners. 

"This visit represents far more than a port call; it is a demonstration of the deep trust, shared purpose, and collective ambition at the heart of AUKUS. Together, we are forging the interoperability and cooperation that will define our partnership for decades to come."

Commanding Officer of HMS ANSON Commander Aaron Williams said: "The crew of HMS ANSON is very excited to be in Australia for this visit – the next step in the AUKUS partnership. After travelling over 8,000 nautical miles we’re ready to show Australia and the region what these submarines have to offer. We are looking forward to working closely with our Australian and United States allies and meeting the people of Western Australia.

AUKUS will deliver significant economic benefits for communities across the UK. The partnership will expand Britain’s submarine fleet with up to 12 attack boats as set out in the Strategic Defence Review, supported by continuous production delivering a new submarine every 18 months. Based originally on a UK design, SSN-AUKUS will utilise the best of UK, US and Australian technology.

The partnership will transform naval facilities in Western Australia, where Australian, US and UK submarines will be operated from, contributing to regional stability by bolstering deterrence and increasing trilateral presence in the Indo-Pacific.

AUKUS will bring billions of pounds of investment into communities across the UK and Australia, including in Barrow, Cardiff, Glasgow and Adelaide and Perth.

It is estimated that AUKUS will bring 7,000 additional jobs to the UK, while Australia estimates 20,000 direct jobs will be created over the next 30 years.