Australia Selects Leidos Australia for AUKUS Dry Dock Design

02 Agustus 2026

The Australian Government has increased its investment in Australian Naval Infrastructure to $8.5 billion to continue delivery of the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Construction Yard at Osborne as part of the SSN-AUKUS build program (photos: Aus DoD)

Australia advances AUKUS capability with dry dock design appointment

AUKUS is taking another important step, with the Albanese Government selecting a designer for the submarine contingency dry dock capability in support of Australia’s conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarine fleet.

Leidos Gibbs and Cox Australia has been selected to lead the preliminary design for a contingency dry dock, which will be established in Western Australia to support our future nuclear-powered submarine capability. 

This announcement reflects the Albanese Government’s considered approach to delivering this capability and forms part of the Government’s broader investment in Western Australia across HMAS Stirling and the Henderson Defence Precinct for sovereign shipbuilding and the sustainment of our surface vessels and submarines.

Selecting the designer to provide floating dry dock design services will ensure Australia is ready to undertake critical repairs and maintenance for the nation’s future nuclear-powered submarines from the early 2030s, ahead of the requirement to conduct submarine depot-level maintenance from the late 2030s.

This contingency dry dock capability is a critical pre-condition of Australia receiving its first Virginia class submarine and will provide a critical contingency capability for Australia and its partners.

These vital maintenance capabilities will be established in accordance with domestic processes and regulatory requirements, and consistent with Australia’s international obligations to maintaining the highest standards for nuclear safety, security and safeguards.

In addition to supporting a strong, sovereign industrial base, a contingency dry dock capability will play a vital role in ensuring Australia can sustain and operate its future submarine fleet and work with our partners in the United States and the United Kingdom to support security and stability across the Indo-Pacific region.

This design work is underpinned by the Albanese Government’s investment of an initial $12 billion to deliver the Defence Precinct at Henderson which, alongside the Government’s record investments in AUKUS and shipbuilding, will support 10,000 direct jobs over the next two decades in Western Australia. (Aus DoD)

Leidos will deliver the project’s first phase of a functional design by mid-2027 (photo: Leidos)

Leidos Australia to design floating dry dock for nuclear-powered submarines

Canberra — Leidos Gibbs & Cox Australia will design a new mobile floating dry dock to support the sustainment and operational readiness of Australia’s future fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

A foundational element of the AUKUS Pillar 1: Optimal Pathway, the dry dock design will support mission readiness, continuity and resilience, and leverage Leidos’ decades of submarine and maritime engineering expertise.

Overseen by the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA), the floating dry dock will be a critical component of the country’s nuclear submarine naval infrastructure, enabling system inspection, maintenance and repair out of the water. Its design is complex due to specialised nuclear safety and security requirements.

Under ASA direction, Leidos Gibbs & Cox Australia will lead the joint Australian-US design development. Drawing on Leidos Gibbs & Cox’s extensive design capabilities in the US and Leidos Gibbs & Cox Australia’s system development capabilities, the team will deliver the project’s first phase of a functional design by mid-2027.

Quote attributable to Leidos Australia Chief Executive, Paul Chase: “Australia’s nuclear submarine readiness depends on trusted capability, strong collaboration and the sustainment infrastructure needed to support long-term operations. Leidos’ floating dry dock design will help advance our sovereign capability and reflects our commitment to supporting a critical path for AUKUS success.” (Leidos)