DEFENCE CONNECT : Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles will announce a multi-billion dollar investment into the consolidation and Western Australia infrastructure in support of AUKUS. Defence Connect can reveal that the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese alongside Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles will announce an AU$12 billion (US$7.96 billion) in support of the trilateral AUKUS partnership. It is expected that this multi-billion dollar, multi-year investment will support the consolidation of the Henderson naval shipyard facility, uplifting the facilities there to support submarine maintenance and sustainment in support of the Submarine Rotational Force – West (SRF-W).

Included in this investment is the development of new dry docks, loading facilities, along with other critically needed navy shipbuilding infrastructure and capabilities at the facilities, which are critically important for supporting the delivery of Australia’s eight locally-built evolved Mogami class guided missile frigates under the SEA 3000 program, alongside Army’s advanced landing and littoral manoeuvre fleet.

This investment is expected to be part of a larger, almost AU$25 billion (US$16.61 billion) that will need to be invested at critical naval infrastructure at Henderson and at the nearby HMAS Stirling south of Perth to support Australian, British and American rotational submarine forces and deployed naval forces.

To date, the Commonwealth Government has committed approximately AU$127 million (US$84.4 million) dollars to support the consolidation of the naval infrastructure and shipbuilding facilities at Henderson.

Existing Henderson maritime support infrastructure