- Lockheed Martin will work with Australia’s Submarine Agency to facilitate sovereign combat systems integration for future Virginia-class SSNs
- over the next two years, the prime will integrate combat subsystems from across the local supply chain
- Australia divides CSI responsibilities for Virginia and AUKUS classes by hull origin to minimise any technical risk
Lockheed Martin will support the Australian Submarine Agency in developing a sovereign combat systems integration (CSI) capability for the Royal Australian Navy’s future, interim Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs).
Securing a two-year contract this week worth A$26.5m ($18.7m), the US prime will lead the engineering process of combining separate military subsystems into a unified command and control network. Before this can be done, the two parties will explore the market, identify required subsystems and cultivate a network of local suppliers.
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Initially, Lockheed claims it will lean on +20 CSI engineering jobs in Western Australia, where the submarines will be based, besides 470 of its own specialists in maritime combat systems and integrated air and missile defence.
The company is already a partner in the Virginia-class programme; it has integrated combat systems on US Navy submarines for decades.
“We’re honoured to support that effort by applying our extensive combat system integration expertise to the AUKUS alliance,” remarked Lockheed’s Devon Rodgers, vice president and general manager for undersea mission systems.
It is likely Australia divided CSI responsibilities for the Virginia (Lockheed) and AUKUS (BAE Systems) fleets by hull origin to minimise any technical risk.
Virginia-class interim
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) will acquire three Virginia SSNs through the trilateral AUKUS agreement. The fleet will comprise three in-service block IV boats in 2032, 2035 and 2038 respectively.
US officials considered a mix of old and new generation boats until the Government resolved to send three in-service boats, holding back from sending a future block submarine that would incorporate the Virginia Payload Module, an extended mid-section hosting additional launch tubes.
The decision will ease some pressure on the US submarine industrial base, tasked with building double the number of boats each year that it currently produces.
Australia has already secured some degree of sovereignty in other areas besides the combat system, ahead of the entry of the SSNs into service. Bisalloy Steels won a purchase order from General Dynamics Electric Boat, valued at ~$2m, for HY80 steel plate. The order marks the first time Australian-produced steel has entered the Virginia-class submarine supply chain
Notably, the RAN’s forthcoming SSNs will retain the AN/BYG-1 combat control system as the central nervous system coordinating these distinct capabilities.
The American-derived software is also found on the country’s Collins-class diesel-electric submarines and will be implemented across all SSN-AUKUS boats despite design tensions made clear to this reporter several months ago.
Prospective suppliers
Australia’s sovereign CSI effort for the interim, Virginia-class fleet will likely align with the CSI effort behind the future SSN-AUKUS. The assumption is based on the need for a seamless transition between the two platforms.
In October 2025, several global primes BAE Systems, General Dynamics Mission Systems, Raytheon and Thales signed a memorandum of understanding to build on the AN/BYG-1 system.
This avenue will likely bring in their combat systems. Thales already supplies its Scylla sonar suite for the Collins-class for over 25 years, while Raytheon oversees the architecture, design and updates for tactical software and hardware.
