Australia faces major recruitment challenge for Aukus nuclear submarines
Briefing by News4U · First published
Retired admiral Peter Briggs warns Australia must triple its submarine force to 3,000 personnel to crew the larger Virginia-class boats under the $368bn Aukus deal.
The Guardian reports that Australia must recruit hundreds more personnel to crew nuclear-powered submarines under the $368bn Aukus deal, according to retired admiral Peter Briggs. [1]
Briggs said the submarine arm needs to triple in size to 3,000 people, as each Virginia-class boat requires up to 134 crew compared with about 50 for the current Collins-class vessels. [1]
The Royal Australian Navy currently has 230 personnel in the US nuclear submarine training pipeline and expects 400 trained by 2030, while about 850 submariners are qualified for Collins-class boats. [1]
Sources
- Australia must recruit hundreds more to crew Aukus submarines, retired admiral warns
The Guardian · · Full text