The continuous naval shipbuilding and sustainment (CNSS) Enterprise reflects the scope of inputs critical to the acquisition and sustainment of maritime capability in Australia. Under the CNSS model, the Australian Government’s investment in the uplift of the sovereign industrial base will support Australia’s ability to deliver and maintain maritime capability.
Evolving the CNSS Enterprise is a national endeavour that is crucial to delivering the capabilities needed to defend Australia and its interests in the Indo-Pacific region, as set out in the 2024 National Defence Strategy.
Maritime capability
The scope of the Enterprise reflects the planned investments set out in the 2024 Integrated Investment Program, including $123 - $159 billion in the acquisition or upgrade of maritime capability. These projects will be delivered primarily through 2 principal shipyards at Osborne in South Australia and Henderson in Western Australia.
The Australian Government is also investing over $2 billion annually in fleet sustainment, supported by network of Defence bases and Regional Maintenance Centres (RMCs) located in Sydney, Perth, Darwin and Cairns.
The Government’s 30-year pipeline of shipbuilding and sustainment activities includes:
- Conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines
- Landing Craft Medium and Heavy
- Hunter Class frigates
- General purpose frigates
- Collins Class submarines
- Hobart Class destroyer upgrades
- Evolved Cape Class patrol boats.
Industrial uplift
A resilient sovereign industrial base with the ability to scale and innovate is key to ensuring the ADF and Australia’s maritime industry can withstand, endure and recover from disruption. CNSS is identified as one of 7 Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities outlined in the 2024 Defence Industry Development Strategy.
Ensuring sufficient and balanced demand will end the boom-and-bust cycles of the past and provide confidence to industry partners to invest in their technical capabilities, workforce, infrastructure and security.
The Plan establishes the CNSS Enterprise governance framework to improve collaboration across all levels of government, industry, academia, and trade unions to support the targeted uplift of Australia’s maritime industrial base. Defence will work with Enterprise partners to develop the 5 CNSS key enablers.