The first enlisted Australian Sailors joined officers from the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to graduate from the United States Navy’s Nuclear Power Training Unit (NPTU) as part of AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership among Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S.
NPTU trains officers, enlisted Sailors and civilians for shipboard nuclear power- plant operation and maintenance of surface ships and submarines in the U.S. Navy’s nuclear fleet. Eight RAN Sailors trained alongside U.S. Navy personnel during the six-month course, which included courses in critical subjects and skills including mathematics, nuclear physics, reactor principles and nuclear reactor technology. The Sailors now are qualified to handle the reactors and other associated systems on the conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine fleet Australia will receive under AUKUS.
The students were honored in an April 2025 graduation ceremony in the hangar bay of USS Yorktown in South Carolina.
“This graduation marks a significant step forward for our Navy,” said RAN Cdre. Daniel Sutherland, Commander Submarine Force. “Having naval nuclear power-qualified officers, and now Sailors, is critical in meeting our goal of operating conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines.”
The NPTU is part of the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, a joint Department of Navy and Department of Energy organization overseeing all aspects of naval nuclear propulsion, from research and design to training and maintenance. Since its establishment in 1989, the unit has trained and sent to the fleet more than 1,000 Sailors each year.
In addition to the enlisted Australian Sailors, five RAN officers graduated from the class. They were the third group of officers to complete the training.
“I remain impressed with the quality of Australian submariners who come through the naval nuclear propulsion-training pipeline,” said Capt. Robert Rose, commander, NPTU Charleston. “Six officers previously completed prototype training, each performing exceptionally well. I fully expect these recent graduates, especially our first enlisted personnel, will excel in the fleet.”
AUKUS was formed in 2021 to support a Free and Open Indo-Pacific amid increased tension with China. The pact incorporates two phases, called “pillars.” Pillar 1 calls for Australia to acquire a nuclear-powered submarine capability, using technology shared by the U.S. under a $3 billion agreement to provide several Virginia-class submarines. Australia and the U.K. will later build a new AUKUS-class submarine. In January 2025, the Australian submarine agency announced $262 million to establish supply chain and training support to enhance the industrial base needed to build the SSN-AUKUS submarine.
Under Pillar 2, the Partner nations will seek combined, interoperable capabilities, including electronic warfare systems, hypersonic and counterhypersonic technology, cyber capabilities and systems leveraging artificial intelligence.
In addition to the Sailors, the first Australian radiological control technicians graduated from the U.S. Navy’s Radiological Controls Technician Qualifying School (RCTQS) at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Virginia, in March 2025. Four civilian maintenance technicians from ASC, the Australian government’s submarine company, completed a six-month program that included theoretical and practical-skills training, with participants demonstrating their knowledge and abilities through comprehensive assessments and examinations. Upon qualification, these technicians are responsible for ensuring adherence to U.S. radiological controls requirements and standards during the operation and maintenance of naval nuclear propulsion plants at nuclear shipyards and maintenance activities.
“This is an intense, demanding school that teaches complex theory and application of radiological controls,” said RCTQS instructor Donald Sweeney. “The Australian students were well prepared, focused, and committed from Day 1. They continue to exceed expectations at every step and are well positioned to perform their roles on conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines in their home country. I look forward to hearing about their future success.”