Australian Bisalloy steel to be used in US Virginia‑class submarines

Bisalloy Steel, a manufacturer in Unanderra, received a US $2 million (AUD 2.87 million) purchase order from General Dynamics Electric Boat for HY80 steel plate that will be incorporated into US Navy Virginia‑class nuclear submarines. The raw steel is produced by BlueScope at its Port Kembla works and then processed and heat‑treated by Bisalloy to meet the US Navy’s stringent structural‑steel standards, a qualification achieved through the Australian Defence Industry Vendor Qualification program involving the Australian Submarine Agency and the US Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Submarines.

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy announced the deal during a visit to Washington and described it as “a significant AUKUS milestone”. He also unveiled plans for a submarine contingency dry‑dock, to be built by Leidos & Gibbs & Cox at the Henderson Defence Precinct in Western Australia, slated for delivery in the early 2030s and intended to support Australian, US and UK nuclear‑powered submarines. While the contract marks tangible industrial progress under the AUKS trilateral partnership, it comes amid criticism that delivery of the submarines to Australia is not guaranteed and that US submarine production is lagging behind the required rate.