Vice-Admiral Expects Used AUKUS Submarines to Have 20-year Lifespan

The Australian Submarine Agency has revealed that discussions about changes to the AUKUS programme began 18 months ago.

USS Minnesota (SSN-783) Virginia-class fast attack submarine off the coast of Perth, Western Australia, on March 16, 2025. AAP Image/Pool, Colin Murty

The three used submarines Australia will now receive as part of the first delivery under Pillar 1 of AUKUS will be around six years old, and will have a remaining life span of 20 years, says an Australian navy chief.

Vice-Admiral Jonathan Mead, head of the Australian Submarine Agency, was testifying at Senate Estimates about the change, which represents a major shift to how Australia would be armed under the 2023 trilateral AUKUS deal.