Rolls-Royce nuclear reactors will power Australia’s SSN-AUKUS subs
LONDON, UK — Rolls-Royce has announced that it has been selected by the AUKUS alliance to supply the nuclear reactors that will power Australia’s future SSN-AUKUS submarines. The choice of propulsion supplier should come as no surprise as the UK has been chosen as the prime contractor for the Australian units.
The company has over 60 years of experience in nuclear propulsion for Royal Navy submarines. It is currently involved in the supply of nuclear power plants and other components for the British Astute and Dreadnought submarines. The drives are built at the Operations Center in Darby. Rolls-Royce also opened a nuclear skills academy in Derby last year, which will provide 200 places a year for apprentices over the next decade.
Details of the propulsion of the future SSN-AUKUS are not known. It can be assumed that their power plants will be derived from the PWR-2 and PWR-3 pressurized water reactors currently being supplied to the Royal Navy.
Tomahawk for Australia
Earlier, the US DSCA announced that the US State Department had approved the sale of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Australia. The deal covers 20 Block IV and 200 Block V missiles. They will cost a maximum of $895 million. The supplier of the missiles should be Raytheon.
Australia announced its interest in purchasing Tomahawk missiles in September 2021. Именно по това време бе обявен проект за споделяне на технологии AUKUS. The missiles are intended for use by the Hobart-class destroyers of the Royal Australian Navy [RAN].
The deal includes support for three segments of Australia’s Tomahawk Weapon System [TWS]: All Up Round [AUR], Tomahawk Tactical Weapons Control System [TTWCS], and the Theater Mission Planning Center [TMPC]. This means supplies of spare parts, maintenance of missiles, software upgrades, participation in missile tests, personnel training, etc.
