Australia-United States Submarine Officer Pipeline Act
Bill: S.4718 | Sponsor: Sen. Blunt, Roy (R-MO)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Australia-United States Submarine Officer Pipeline Act
This bill requires the Department of Defense to carry out an exchange program for Australian submarine officers. Under this program, two such officers shall be selected each year to receive training and, after completing such training, be assigned to duty on an operational U.S. submarine at sea.

To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a joint training 
pipeline between the United States Navy and the Royal Australian Navy, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Australia-United States Submarine 
Officer Pipeline Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF JOINT TRAINING PIPELINE BETWEEN UNITED STATES 
              NAVY AND ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the AUKUS partnership between Australia, the United 
        Kingdom, and the United States presents a significant 
        opportunity to enhance security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific 
        region;
            (2) parties to the AUKUS partnership should work 
        expeditiously to implement a strategic roadmap to successfully 
        deliver capabilities outlined in the agreement;
            (3) the United States should engage with industry partners 
        to develop a comprehensive understanding of the requirements 
        needed to increase capacity and capability;
            (4) Australia should continue to expand its industrial base 
        to support production and delivery of future capabilities;
            (5) the delivery of a nuclear-powered submarine to the 
        Government of Australia would require the appropriate training 
        and development of future commanding officers to operate such 
        submarines for the Royal Australian Navy; and
            (6) in order to uphold the stewardship of the Naval Nuclear 
        Propulsion Program, the Secretary of Defense should work to 
        coordinate an exchange program to integrate and train 
        Australian sailors for the operation and maintenance of 
        nuclear-powered submarines.
    (b) Exchange Program.--The Secretary of Defense, in consultation 
with the Secretary of Energy, shall carry out an exchange program for 
Australian submarine officers during 2023 and each subsequent year. 
Under the program, each year, two Australian submarine officers shall 
be selected to participate in the program. Each such participant 
shall--
            (1) receive training in the Navy Nuclear Propulsion School;
            (2) following such training and by not later than July 1 of 
        the year of participation, enroll in the Submarine Office Basic 
        Course; and
            (3) following completion of such course, be assigned to 
        duty on an operational United States submarine at sea.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the 
congressional defense committees (as defined in section 101 of title 
10, United States Code) a report on a notional exchange program for 
Australian submarine officers that includes initial, follow-on, and 
recurring training that could be provided to Australian submarine 
officers in order to prepare such officers for command of nuclear-
powered Australian submarines.
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