Australia has selected Leidos Australia’s Gibbs & Cox to lead the preliminary design of a contingency floating dry dock that will support the future Virginia-class submarine fleet under the AUKUS partnership with the United Kingdom and the United States. Planned for construction in Western Australia, the floating dry dock is a critical element of preparations for the arrival of Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines in the 2030s. The facility will provide emergency, unscheduled, and short-notice maintenance and repair capabilities before full depot-level sustainment infrastructure becomes available later in the decade. Once completed, the dry dock will be capable of supporting submarines from all AUKUS partners while complying with Australian regulatory standards and international nuclear safety requirements. The initiative is part of the Australian Government’s broader investment in the Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Stirling and the Henderson Defence Precinct to strengthen sovereign shipbuilding and submarine sustainment capabilities. In a separate AUKUS development, Australian steel manufacturer Bisalloy secured its first order from General Dynamics Electric Boat to supply HY80 submarine-grade steel for US Navy Virginia-class submarines, marking the program’s first use of Australian-produced steel.
