First Australian sailors graduate from USN Basic Enlisted Submarine School

In a first for AUKUS, a group of Royal Australian Navy enlisted sailors has graduated from the United States Navy’s Basic Enlisted Submarine School (BESS).

CAPTION: US Navy and Royal Australian Navy graduates from the US Navay’s Basic Enlisted Submarine School, aboard the US Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut. US Navy photo by Lauren Laughlin.

All graduated with distinction with one being named the Honor Graduate for scoring a 100% in the class.

Their graduation marks a significant milestone in the development of a nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) fleet for Australia under the AUKUS Pillar 1 Optimal Pathway.

Chief of the Royal Australian Navy Vice Admiral Mark Hammond said it was another exciting step to see our sailors graduate from this unique and challenging training.

“I am incredibly proud of their exceptional dedication and effort to reach this significant milestone,” Vice Admiral Hammond said.

“I’d like to thank our long-standing partners and friends in the US Navy for providing the training to assist the Royal Australian Navy to operate, maintain and support Australia’s future nuclear-powered submarine capability.”

A US Navy spokesperson said incorporating Royal Australian Navy enlisted personnel into the US Navy’s submarine training pipeline was essential to developing Australian crews ahead of Australia’s acquisition of sovereign Virginia-class submarines that will be sold to Australia by 2030.

Enlisted personnel make up the bulk of a Virginia-class submarine crew, which is typically comprised of 15 officers and 117 enlisted sailors.

Royal Australian Navy sailors are also enrolled in the British Royal Navy’s nuclear training pipeline, with the first officers graduating from the Royal Navy’s Officers Nuclear Operators Course earlier this month.

Naval Submarine School Commanding Officer Captain Matthew Fanning said that for the past two months, the Australian sailors had trained diligently alongside their American counterparts to acquire the capability to safely operate SSNs.

“They will continue to hone their skills in rate-specific training before reporting to a Virginia-class submarine as part of the crew to put their training into execution alongside US submariners,” Captain Fanning said

The BESS graduation comes just months after the first three Royal Australian Navy officers completed their training at the US Navy’s Submarine Officer Basic Course in April 2024 and reported to Virginia-class submarines based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Nearly 100 Royal Australian Navy officers and enlisted personnel will enter the submarine and US Naval Nuclear Propulsion training pipelines this year.

Warrant Officer of the Royal Australian Navy Andrew Bertoncin said Australian sailors training success demonstrated the exceptional skillset and knowledge of our people.

“I’m proud of what our sailors have achieved and look forward to seeing them continue to master their craft onboard a Virginia-class submarine,” he said.

At BESS, the Royal Australian Navy sailors joined their American counterparts for a rigorous eight-week course where they developed the skills and competence needed to operate nuclear-powered attack submarines.

Sailors studied the construction and operation of nuclear-powered submarines and gained hands-on experience through intensive simulations.

US Navy’s AUKUS Integration and Acquisition Program Manager Rear Admiral Lincoln Reifsteck said the Australian sailors were the foundation of Australia’s future SSN crews and were trailblazers, leading the broader effort to strengthen the interoperability and capabilities of the AUKUS nations.

“Their graduation is a major step toward realizing the strategic goals of AUKUS as well as deepening the ties among our nations,” Rear Admiral Reifsteck said

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