Training Aus Nuclear Submariners: US Legislation in House

 Justin Katz at US website Breaking Defense wrote an excellent June 23, 2022 article 

indicating the US Congress is laying early legislative groundwork for an Australian SSN capability.

Meanwhile the UK is silent on any plans to magically dream up 2 Astutes, with no longer built PWR2s, for the RAN.

Snippets from Justin Katz’ article include:

“WASHINGTON: As initial trilateral discussions continue between the AUKUS signatories, [US Congress House of Representatives] lawmakers have moved to establish a “joint training pipeline” for submarine officers between the US and Royal Australian navies.

The legislation, dubbed the Australia-U.S. Submarine Officer Pipeline Act, was introduced last week by Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., and included as an amendment to this year’s defense policy bill, which was favorably voted out of the House Armed Services Committee early this morning.

“The AUKUS alliance is the most important security partnership that America has entered into in decades, and at its core is the creation of an Australian fleet of nuclear-powered submarines — the same world-beating technology operated by our own US Navy, vital to keeping up with today’s challenges in the vast expanse of the Indo-Pacific,” Courtney said of the bill after the committee concluded its marathon mark up of the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.

…Courtney’s submariner legislation would allow for two Royal Australian Navy submariners being selected to come to the US each year for training at the US Navy’s sub school, enroll in the Submarine Officer Basic Course and be assigned to duty on an operational US sub at sea.

Separately, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro late last week announced [USN] Rear Adm. Dave Goggins was tapped to become a “special assistant” supporting the AUKUS agreement. Goggins, who is currently the Program Executive Officer for Attack Submarines, will be relieved by Rear Adm. Jonathon Rucker.

… When officials from Washington, London and Sydney announced the agreement in September 2021, they said the first step would be an 18-month consultation and planning period..."

SEE THE WHOLE ARTICLE HERE.

Pete Comment

This follows the November-December 2021 Exchange of Naval Nuclear Propulsion Information Agreement (ENNPIA). 

If this June 2022 training legislation gets through in a timely and untroubled manner this will be another early test whether the AUKUS SSN Program can gain momentum in US-Australian relations. 

If the legislation has not cleared the House and Senate before the possible complication of the US November 8, 2022, "Midterm" Elections then prospects may not be so rosy.