Australia will spend an initial Aus$12 billion (U.S.$8 billion) to upgrade shipyard facilities for a future fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, the government said on Sunday (September 14, 2025).
The "very significant" investment is to be spent over a decade to transform a shipbuilding and maintenance precinct in Perth, Western Australia, Defence Minister Richard Marles said.
$3 billion deal with the U.K. gets Australia closer to having a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines
The government is ploughing money into Perth's Henderson Defence Precinct after signing the 2021 AUKUS pact with Britain and the United States to arm its navy with nuclear-powered submarines.
The investment is part of a major military restructure to improve Australia's long-range strike capabilities in the face of China's expanding military strength across the Pacific.
