When Royal Australian Navy submarine HMS Anson required substitute parts throughout a routine Submarine Upkeep Interval (SMP) at HMAS Stirling, the standard provide chain wasn’t an possibility. British defence expertise QinetiQ stepped in, utilizing additive manufacturing to design, produce, and ship the components in 4 weeks, a course of that may sometimes take months or years.
It’s the first time the Royal Navy has used superior manufacturing to help a routine SMP in Australia, and a concrete step towards operationalising Submarine Rotational Pressure – West beneath AUKUS Pillar 1.
From UK Design to Australian Manufacturing
The operation was made doable by QinetiQ’s international footprint. Engineers within the UK reverse engineered the required parts and securely transferred the technical knowledge to QinetiQ Australia, which then coordinated manufacturing with native additive manufacturing SMEs in Perth, with extra components produced on the East Coast and by QinetiQ Australia immediately.
As soon as manufactured, the components have been reviewed and accepted by the Submarine Supply Group Additive Manufacturing Group earlier than being delivered to the crew of HMS Anson, who put in them in the course of the upkeep interval.
“QinetiQ’s international attain and established native engineering functionality enabled us to maneuver shortly to help HMS Anson in Australia. We’ll proceed to help AUKUS Pillar 1 actions and supply alternatives to Australian firms to be a part of this internationally important, complicated provide chain,” mentioned Corry Neale, Chief Govt, QinetiQ Australia.
AUKUS and the Push for Sovereign Naval AM Functionality
QinetiQ’s deployment sits inside a quickly increasing effort throughout AUKUS companions to embed additive manufacturing into naval provide chains, not as a backup possibility, however as a main instrument for operational resilience.
Australia’s position in that effort is rising. In 2025, WAAM specialist AML3D delivered 3D printed parts for the US Navy’s Virginia-Class nuclear submarine program, manufacturing the Copper-Nickel components in beneath 5 weeks in opposition to a 17-month lead time by typical strategies. Later, ASC and Austal formalised a collaboration to advance Australia’s home additive manufacturing provide chain for each Collins Class and Virginia Class submarines, alongside workforce coaching applications.
The HMS Anson operation provides to this image, demonstrating that distributed, cross-border AM manufacturing can meet the certification and timeline calls for of dwell upkeep, not simply procurement pipelines.
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Featured picture exhibits QinetiQ helps HMS Anson deployment. Picture by way of QinetiQ.
