By Salma El-Sakka
Australia faces a major recruitment challenge to crew nuclear-powered submarines under the $368bn Aukus deal, retired admiral Peter Briggs warned as the USS Colorado visited Perth.
Virginia-class submarines require larger crews
The Virginia-class vessels need up to 134 crew, nearly three times the complement of the ageing Collins-class boats. The Royal Australian Navy currently has 230 personnel in the US nuclear training pipeline, with 145 having completed nuclear power training. The navy aims to have 400 trained personnel ready by 2030.
Admiral calls for tripling submarine workforce
Briggs said the submarine arm must triple to about 3,000 personnel and acquire nuclear skills. He noted that maintaining two different submarine types adds complexity to training, logistics, and spare-parts arrangements.
Recruitment challenges and rotational force
Recruiting across more than a dozen trades, from sonar operators to cooks, is difficult. The USS Colorado will spend a month in Perth for maintenance and to help build Australian expertise. It will return in late 2027 as part of the Submarine Rotational Force-West, which will see up to four US and one UK nuclear submarines rotate through HMAS Stirling from 2027.
Nuclear safety and living conditions
Officials stressed no radiological material will be transferred during maintenance; nuclear exercises will be simulated. The submarine carries conventional weapons, including torpedoes and payload tubes. Living conditions are cramped: bunks stacked three high, hot racking, and occasional sleeping in torpedo rooms. Captain Justin Reeves said the vessel is built for combat, not comfort, with endurance limited by food and toilet paper supplies.
