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Century Engineering has become the first Australian business to secure export contracts into the United States naval nuclear supply chain, embedding Australian industry within the US industrial base.
The South Australian manufacturer has been awarded contracts by HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding to produce precision-engineered parts for US aircraft carriers, which are among the world’s most complex and highly regulated defence platforms. Production of the crank components will begin within weeks.
It is the first time an Australian company has delivered parts into a live nuclear powered naval program, signalling a step change in Australia’s role from prospector to participant within allied AUKUS supply chains.
Century Engineering’s success follows its qualification to US naval nuclear standards through the Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification (AUSSQ) Program. Delivered by H&B Defence on behalf of the Australian Submarine Agency, AUSSQ is designed to identify, uplift and qualify Australian businesses to meet the exacting requirements of US and UK nuclear-powered submarine enterprises, creating a direct pathway into AUKUS‑aligned programs.
This outcome demonstrates that Australian industry can meet the highest global standards for quality and assurance, and validates AUSSQ as a critical enabler of sovereign capability development. It also reinforces Australia’s ability to contribute meaningfully to trilateral defence industrial capacity.
To date, 13 Australian companies have qualified for inclusion in the US submarine industrial base through AUSSQ, and are responding to Requests for Quotation across priority areas including precision machining, casting and forging, and fabricated components.
