Australian Submarine Agency director-general Vice-Admiral Jonathan Mead outlines plans for Adelaide nuclear-powered shipyard

Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine chief exclusively reveals his plan to transform Adelaide’s naval shipyard into the world’s most advanced manufacturing centre.

A $2bn transformation of Adelaide’s naval shipyard into the world’s “most advanced manufacturing centre” will start later this year, in the first major on-ground milestone for the nation’s nuclear-powered submarine project.

“Hundreds and hundreds” of construction workers would hit the northwestern Adelaide site by the end of the year, Australian Submarine Agency director-general Jonathan Mead said, “doing what is the hardest thing that Australia has ever done before”.

In an exclusive interview with The Advertiser, Vice-Admiral Mead outlined plans to quadruple the Osborne Naval Shipyard’s size for the hi-tech facility.

At least $2bn was budgeted for infrastructure in South Australia, he said, most of which was for the nuclear-powered submarine yard and associated Skills and Training Academy.

L-R: Vice-Admiral Jonathan Mead, Premier Peter Malinauskas, Defence Minister Richard Marles and Opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie at The Advertiser’s Defending Australia forum on Wednesday. Picture: Brett Hartwig

Vice-Admiral Mead said construction of both the shipyard and AUKUS submarines would start even before final designs were complete, because of the race to have the first Adelaide-built boats launched by the 2040s.

“Nuclear-powered submarines are more complex and more advanced than the space shuttle. More advanced than rockets that are going to the International Space Station,” he said.

“There is no other type of manufacturing or machinery undertaken in the world that surpasses nuclear-powered submarines.

“And the fact is that our yard will be the most contemporary and the most state-of-the-art nuclear-powered submarine yard in the world.”

Vice-Admiral Mead said the nuclear-powered shipyard would be in three zones, stretching north and west of the existing Collins class submarine and Hunter class frigate yards.

Area one will focus on fabrication, where steel will be turned into modules, or parts of the submarines. Components will be installed in area two, including combat and sonar systems, galleys and accommodation areas. The modules will be joined together in area three, adjacent the Port River, then launched, berthed and tested.

Defence Minister Richard Marles, left, Vice-Admiral Jonathan Mead and Premier Peter Malinauskas at Osborne Naval Shipyard. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

Vice-Admiral Mead said on-ground activity was “absolutely essential” to boost public confidence in the $368bn AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine project, centred on Adelaide.

The tripartite AUKUS pact between the US, UK and Australia was inked by leaders on March 14, 2023, outlining an “optimal pathway” featuring at least three nuclear-powered submarines bought from the US and eight Adelaide-built boats launched from the 2040s.

Vice-Admiral Mead insisted all of the “integrated master schedule” components were on track, including building the first AUKUS submarine in the UK by the end of the decade, plus transferring US Virginia class submarines to Australia and starting the Adelaide build in the 2030s.

Defence Minister Richard Marles and Premier Peter Malinauskas on Wednesday turned the first sods for the $500m Skills and Training Academy, which is scheduled to be finished in 2027/28 to train workers for the nuclear-powered submarine construction.

Originally published as Australian Submarine Agency director-general Vice-Admiral Jonathan Mead outlines plans for Adelaide nuclear-powered shipyard