Nearly 3000 people working on Attack-class submarines when program cut for AUKUS nuclear subs

The Defence Department has revealed for the first time how many people were working on the Attack-class submarine program when it was dumped.

Small South Australian businesses must be given the chance to join the supply chains for the stretched UK and US defence industries to help fill the void of work left by the dumping of the Attack Class submarines, the Adelaide-based Defence Teaming Centre says.

It comes as the Defence Department reveals 1317 contract workers were hired on the $90bn Attack-class submarines project at the time it was canned in September last year.

Defence Teaming Centre boss Audra McCarthy said the US and UK defence supply chains were “at capacity”.

“We’re lobbying government to have conversations about how can Australian industry relieve pressure off those supply chains … by manufacturing products that can be exported,” she said.

Ms McCarthy said she would travel to the US this year to negotiate opportunities for Australian businesses.

She said seizing projects abroad would help keep local suppliers engaged in the defence industry amid a “void” in SA’s shipbuilding schedule.

The Defence Department on Wednesday revealed a total of 2834 workers were involved in the Attack-class project.

Of those, 34 Australian Defence personnel had been posted to Cherbourg, a military port in northwestern France.

Dozens of Australian workers still remain in Cherbourg in France, home to the Naval Group shipyard. Picture” Calum Robertson

There still remains 46 Australians working for Naval Group in Cherbourg. There were a total of 1317 contract workers hired at the time of the AUKUS announcement.

Opposition defence spokesman Brendan O’Connor raised concerns about SA workers and families left “in limbo”.

“Labor holds grave concerns for these now confirmed thousands of workers,” he said.

In written answers to a parliamentary inquiry, Defence said steps were underway to “provide the affected workforce with continuing opportunities to work within the submarine enterprise”.

Among those opportunities include sustainment work on the Collins-class submarine fleet at Osborne.

A talent pool was established to transfer affected Naval Group and Lockheed Martin workers to federal government-owned shipbuilders ASC.

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Originally published as Nearly 3000 people working on Attack-class submarines when program cut for AUKUS nuclear subs