Historic Achievement: First Royal Australian Navy Officers Qualify as Nuclear Engineers in the UK

Three Royal Australian Navy officers have become the first in their service’s history to qualify as nuclear engineers in the UK, after completing nine months of intensive training delivered by the Royal Navy. The training, conducted under the AUKUS agreement—a pact between the UK, US, and Australia to develop a new generation of nuclear-powered submarines—took place at HMS Sultan in Gosport. The Australian officers trained alongside their Royal Navy counterparts.

Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, Chief of the Royal Australian Navy and a submariner, commented on the achievement: “The graduation marks another significant step forward for the Royal Australian Navy’s ability to operate, maintain, and support Australia’s future nuclear-powered submarine capability.”

The three officers, identified as Lieutenant Commander James, Lieutenant Isabella, and Lieutenant Steve, will now serve on Astute-class submarines with the Royal Navy to gain practical experience. Lt Cdr James will be assigned to the Royal Navy’s newest hunter-killer submarine, HMS Agamemnon, which is nearing completion in Barrow. “The experience of bringing her out of construction, going through trials, and training will be hugely important for our program,” he noted.

The training involved six months of intensive academic studies in subjects such as nuclear physics, thermodynamics, and nuclear safety management, followed by three months of practical training. During this period, they learned the inner workings of nuclear systems and completed control room simulations to prepare for potential incidents and emergencies.

Lieutenant Joe Roberts described the course as one of the most challenging in the Royal Navy, with many students dropping out. “It’s a course which demands the best and the brightest—and the Australians have sent three outstanding students who will go far,” he said. “It’s been an honor because these are the AUKUS pioneers. They will lead their country’s future nuclear submarine program.”

Their success represents a significant milestone in developing the skilled workforce needed for Australia’s future conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability under the AUKUS tri-lateral security partnership. This topic was high on the agenda during the Prime Minister’s first conversation with his counterpart, Anthony Albanese, during his inaugural weekend in office. The leaders also discussed regional challenges, including strategic competition and agreed to strengthen the AUKUS partnership.