South Australia has taken another step to bolster its role in the AUKUS security partnership, signing a new agreement with the Australian arm of a U.S.-based defence organisation to help grow and sustain the state’s submarine and maritime workforce.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed last week at the Indo Pacific Maritime Exposition in Sydney, brings together the Malinauskas Labor Government and BlueForge Alliance Australia (BFAA) — an independent affiliate of the U.S. group BlueForge Alliance (BFA), which works closely with the U.S. Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base.
Under the agreement, BFAA will establish a presence in South Australia and collaborate with local government, universities, and industry to share expertise and apply lessons from its U.S. counterpart. The aim is to support the AUKUS submarine program — known as SSN-AUKUS — through workforce development, supply chain strengthening, and technology transfer.
The newly formed BFAA, launched on 3 November 2025, will be led by CEO-designate Sam Guthrie, with a board that includes Rob Gorham, CEO of the U.S.-based BlueForge Alliance. BFA has previously worked to expand the U.S. maritime industrial workforce, helping to grow the capability of its supply chain through targeted training and workforce initiatives.
Assistant Minister for AI, Digital Economy, Defence and Space Industries Michael Brown, who signed the MoU on behalf of the South Australian Government, said the partnership would play a key role in preparing the state for its contribution to AUKUS.
“This partnership with BFAA is another important step towards developing a highly skilled sovereign workforce and supporting a capable, innovative industry that can meet the demands of this transformative national endeavour,” Brown said.
BFAA representatives said the collaboration would help ensure Australia builds the capacity needed to deliver AUKUS Pillar 1 — the nuclear-powered submarine program — effectively and sustainably.
“BlueForge Alliance Australia is honoured to establish this important partnership with South Australia to cooperatively develop and implement initiatives to support delivery of AUKUS Pillar 1 in the state,” the organisation said in a statement.
As a not-for-profit with an Australian-led team, BFAA describes itself as a “strategic enabler” for AUKUS, working across government, academia, and industry to strengthen Australia’s submarine and maritime industrial base.
The partnership adds to South Australia’s growing portfolio of defence initiatives, aligning with national efforts to prepare the country’s workforce and industry for the long-term demands of AUKUS. It also underscores the state’s central role in supporting Australia’s transition toward building and maintaining a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines in collaboration with the U.S. and the UK.
