By: Liam GarmanThe federal government has announced that it will establish the Australian Submarine Agency and the Australian Nuclear-Powered Submarine Safety Regulator to support the development of a nuclear-powered submarine capability.
The Albanese government has announced that it will create a new agency and regulator to support the delivery of a nuclear-powered submarine capability for the Royal Australian Navy.
Established by Executive Order, the Commonwealth detailed that the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) will “enable” policy, legal, non-proliferation, workforce, and safety arrangements, and will be responsible for directing the following areas in the “cradle-to-grave management” of the capability:
- acquisition;
- delivery;
- construction;
- technical governance;
- sustainment; and
- disposal.
Despite the creation of the Agency, the Deputy Prime Minister’s office confirmed that Navy will still oversee the training of submariners, and the operating the nation’s nuclear-powered submarines.
It is expected that the Agency will be headed by a yet-to-be announced director general, with the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Taskforce set to transition to the Agency on 1 July 2023.