In 2021, representatives from the UK, US, and Australia met to discuss a very important topic: maritime defence.

The result of this meeting was AUKUS, a trilateral agreement designed to strengthen defence capabilities across the three nations – starting with the advanced manufacturing of submarines.

Identified as key priorities,  all three nations agreed that production of these under-sea vessels needs to shift into overdrive.

Australia’s position is especially vulnerable in this regard. The current fleet is in need of a major upgrade, and both America and the UK have agreed to help by selling their own subs for Down Under use. While production of these vessels is underway, it could take more than a decade to get them into Australian waters.

So, what happens in the meantime?

Ghost Sharks in Australian waters

2021 wasn’t just the year that AUKUS formed. It was also the year that Australian defense professionals began working with Anduril, a local company, and US specialists on a very unique kind of maritime vessel – the Ghost Shark.

Now, five years later, the autonomous, AI-powered underwater drones are ready to patrol Australia’s shoreline. The drones, able to stay under water for weeks, closely monitor undersea activity all along the coastline, feeding insights back to personnel monitoring them. 

The Ghost Sharks were produced locally, on advanced manufacturing lines fitted with sophisticated CNCs and robots. Then, they were assembled by robots in a purpose-built facility. That’s sovereign manufacturing to the core.

The question is: can Australia take advantage of the decade-long submarine lead time and speed manufacturing up on it’s own shores?

 Setting the stage for a Sub gold rush

According to the AUKUS agreement, America is to provide 3 Virginia-class submarines to Australia by 2040. On top of that, the UK’s  BAE is currently working on the SSN Aukus, it’s latest submarine model, which is to have it’s own production line in Adelaide.

Part of the reason for the long lead times is that Australia’s allies simply don’t have the shipyards and skilled labourers on hand to speed up production. Both of America’s shipyards are working at full capacity, producing their own vessels, while the UK’s only shipyard is already working overtime. By contrast, China has multiple dual-use shipyards capable of submarine production on demand, while still manufacturing commercial maritime vessels at a steady rate.

This presents a massive maritime manufacturing opportunity for Australia. The equipment to craft these vessels is already available, with CMS’ Advanced Materials and Plastics range at the top of the market and already being used for high-level vehicles, aircraft, and ships. Edencraft is a prime example of these technical capabilities, with its Ribcraft collaboration stemming directly from the acquisition of the CMS Poseidon, along with a labour force trained in shipbuilding.

What would happen if more Australian companies invested in the technology and labour force capable of manufacturing high-level maritime vessels?