AUSTRALIAN navy crew are due to start training alongside Barrow's shipyard workers by the end of this year as part of a major submarine-building project.

The UK and Australia will both build new submarines as part of the AUKUS defence agreement between the two countries and the USA, with construction of the UK’s submarines taking place in Barrow.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace visited the shipyard today where the next generation of AUKUS nuclear submarines will be built for the Royal Navy.

The Mail: Anthony Albanese and Ben WallaceAnthony Albanese and Ben Wallace (Image: Anthony Albanese/Twitter)

Australia will work over the next decade to develop its submarine industrial base and will build its submarines in South Australia.

As part of the visit, the Australian Prime Minister and Mr Wallace met staff and apprentices working on the construction of the Astute Dreadnought class submarines at BAE's submarine academy.

The first UK SSN-AUKUS submarines built by BAE and Rolls-Royce and will be delivered in the late 2030s to replace the current Astute-Class vessels, with the first Australian submarines following in the early 2040s.

Mr Albanese said: "My visit to Barrow-in-Furness underlines my personal commitment to delivering this trilateral enterprise and the importance of AUKUS.

"I look forward to having Australians training alongside the highly skilled submarine builders here in Barrow-In-Furness.

"I thank Secretary Wallace for hosting me on this important visit."

To deliver the new submarines by the earliest possible date, Royal Australian Navy personnel are due to be embedded in the Royal Navy and US Navy, and at British and American submarine industrial bases, by the end of this year, the Ministry of Defence says.

This process will accelerate the training of Australian personnel required for them to operate a submarine fleet.

A number of Royal Australian Navy personnel have begun nuclear training in the UK.

The SSN-AUKUS submarines will be the largest, most advanced and most powerful attack submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy, combining world-leading sensors, design and weaponry in one vessel.

This decades-long programme will create thousands of jobs both in UK shipyards and across the supply chain, with billions of pounds already invested in submarine building at multiple UK sites.

Mr Wallace said: "The SSN-AUKUS submarines will protect the Euro-Atlantic region for decades to come - and with their interoperable submarine design, will ensure mutual compatibility with our Australian and US allies - alongside supporting jobs across the UK and demonstrating the experience and skill which embodies British industry."