Aussie sailors graduate from USN Nuclear Power School

In another significant milestone for the Australia, United Kingdom, United States enhanced trilateral security partnership AUKUS, the first seven Royal Australian Navy enlisted sailors have graduated from the United States Navy Nuclear Power School.

CAPTION: Master Chief Petty Officer Cynthia Huratiak, command master chief for the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command, congratulates an unnamed Royal Australian Navy sailor after his graduation from the United States Navy Nuclear Power School, in Charleston, South Carolina. US Navy photo by Kellie Randall.

The seven sailors, alongside a third group of RAN officers who also graduated, are the pioneers towards Australia establishing a sovereign nuclear-powered submarine (SSN) fleet in the early 2030s.

Chief of the Australian Navy Vice Admiral Mark Hammond said naval nuclear power training was exceptionally rigorous and to have seven Australian sailors and five officers complete the program and move on to the Nuclear Power Training Unit takes us closer to operating our own SSNs.

The seven enlisted RAN sailors trained at the Nuclear Power School from October 2023, and have been learning the science and engineering principles that are fundamental to the design, operation and maintenance of naval nuclear propulsion plants alongside American and British submariners.

The graduates will start this month at the United States Naval Nuclear Power Training Command, which trains officers, enlisted sailors and civilians for shipboard nuclear power plant operation and maintenance of surface ships and submarines in the US Navy’s nuclear fleet.

Director-General Australian Submarine Agency Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead acknowledged the significant milestones of AUKUS this year.

“Thirty-seven months after AUKUS’ inception, we are well on our way to developing Australia’s SSN capability,” Vice Admiral Mead said.

“Last month, Australian sailors conducted the first maintenance period on an SSN in Australia.

“Today we graduate the first enlisted personnel from an exceptionally rigorous school.

“And, we already have Australian officers serving aboard both US and UK SSNs.”

RAN personnel are in various stages of the US nuclear-powered submarine training pipeline to equip them with skills and experience aboard the US Virginia-class SSNs.

The assignment of RAN sailors to US submarines is a fundamental step towards developing the skills needed to crew the Virginia-class submarines that Australia will own and operate from the early 2030s.

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