South Australian businesses could enter the supply chain for America's nuclear powered submarines as part of a new deal signed by the state government. The partnership was announced by Premier Peter Malinuaskas in Virginia during a tour of America's largest shipbuilder. It's part of a push to prepare SA's workforce to build the AUKUS submarine fleet at Osborne.
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00:00 The Premier in Virginia.
00:03 "I'm going to let you take the helmet over here."
00:06 Welding new ties between South Australia and the US.
00:09 "Every opportunity we can get from an experienced shipbuilder like HII is something we simply
00:14 must grab."
00:15 The shipbuilder has agreed to help South Australian companies enter the nuclear-powered submarine
00:20 supply chain before the first AUKUS vessels built at Osborne are delivered in the early
00:25 2040s.
00:26 "While it will take time before parts start getting produced that appear on the SS and
00:33 AUKUS submarine, there isn't a more immediate opportunity to participate in the Virginia
00:38 class program."
00:39 "We really look at AUKUS as an opportunity to enhance the industrial capability of all
00:44 three partner nations."
00:45 Defence experts say the deal gives local welders, machining and fabrication companies a pipeline
00:51 of work sooner to avoid a potential valley of death.
00:54 "We need the skills to start to be developed now because these are really high tech skills
01:00 that currently don't exist in Australia at all."
01:03 But with an estimated 4,000 workers needed to design, then build submarine infrastructure
01:09 at Osborne, the Premier says it's a race against the clock to train people in time.
01:14 "You've got to walk before you can run, but I think it's fair to say that when it comes
01:19 to the South Australian industry, they're walking pretty fast."
01:21 "Frankly, Australia industry is quite strong.
01:25 It is very capable.
01:27 It is not a capability issue as much as it is a scaling issue."
01:31 Mr Malinowskis will spend the rest of his US trip meeting with congressional and industrial
01:36 leaders in Washington before touring America's other nuclear submarine construction yard
01:41 in Connecticut.
01:42 [BLANK_AUDIO]