US company wins contract to deliver AUKUS SIB pilot program

American company Honeywell has been awarded a contract to deliver the AUKUS Submarine Industrial Base (SIB) pilot program.

For this program, Honeywell will establish an enhanced security framework that will underpin a safer, more secure, reliable, and effective technology transfer to activate Australian industry to support the conventionally armed, nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarine production, sustainment, and operational readiness.

The contract was awarded by BlueForge Alliance on behalf of the AUKUS Acquisition and Integration Office of the US Navy. 

The AUKUS enhanced trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States was announced in 2021 and is designed to support security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The partnership strengthens the combined industrial capacity of the three countries, with increased cooperation.

One of the priorities for the AUKUS partnership is to develop the nuclear stewardship required to grow Australia’s ability to secure the supply chain for the Virginia–class submarine programs.

This will involve a network of suppliers and partners powered by a local workforce of more than 30,000 people in Australia and 100,000 in the United States.

Recently, the Australian Government revealed its decision to invest an additional $262 million to support local defense industry uplift and develop Australia’s AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine supply chain.

Following the contract award, Honeywell will support the AUKUS SIB pilot program team by establishing a secure network of suppliers and partners to support the production and operation of the submarine fleet.

The company is working on the program with US-based partners that include Orbis Sibro, Argus Enterprises, and Massa Products Corporation, as well as Australian partner Senetas. Additional Australian companies are also expected to be selected during the pilot program.

Together, this team will deliver the AUKUS SIB pilot program over the next two years. 

“AUKUS is an industry-building endeavor and the top Australian defense program of our time, and we are proud to be part of the team that is mobilizing these projects to bolster Australia’s defense capability,” said Lee Davis, Head of Defense and Space Australia, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies.

“With a heritage of supporting nuclear stewardship in the U.S. industrial base for the conventionally armed, nuclear powered Virginia-Class submarine program, combined with submarine component production in all three AUKUS regions, Honeywell is uniquely positioned to lead the formation of AUKUS Team SIB.”

At the beginning of this month, Australia launched the AUKUS submarine industry strategy, which outlines the prioritization framework that is expected to give businesses the confidence to invest in their own technical capabilities, personnel and facilities.