Internal Australian Defence Force documents released under freedom of information laws say transgender and non-binary sailors are currently unable to start the nation's nuclear submarine training program because ADF personnel training in the US must comply with US policy.
An internal defence briefing, released under freedom of information laws, says that while ADF policy on equality and inclusion is unchanged, 'US government policy is different'. It says ADF personnel undertaking duty in the US (including training) are required to comply with US policy; consequently, transgender and non-binary ADF personnel and career applicants are currently unable to commence the SSN [nuclear-powered attack submarines] training pathway.
Australia, which has no nuclear submarine fleet of its own, has hundreds of sailors and officers training on US nuclear submarines and at US bases. Under the Aukus deal, it is proposed that Australia will buy Virginia-class submarines beginning in 2032. At a women in defence event in October, Rear Adm Tish van Stralen, one of the Australian navy's most senior women, addressed the issue.
Van Stralen said potential recruits for the nuclear submarine program were told the ADF was 'subject to policies and laws in other countries', and that there was a duty of care not to put personnel in harm's way. 'I'm working very closely with navy at the moment and with the submarine agency around the training opportunities because it would be very difficult for me to put a gender-diverse person into that training at the moment,' she said. Van Stralen said the UK, Australia's other Aukus partner, has 'more liberal policies' and that training opportunities may arise there.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth last year issued a directive to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion offices and initiatives. He also sought to ban transgender personnel from joining the US military and ordered that they be purged from the services. US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January 2025 banning transgender service personnel. Announcing military cuts, Hegseth declared the US military would accept 'no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals'.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said last week the Aukus timeline presented a significant 'training challenge', and that the country needs to be training more people. The government's nuclear-powered submarine workforce strategy urges defence to 'proactively expand the talent pool through active inclusion of underrepresented groups, including women, First Nations Australians, regional communities, and individuals who may not traditionally see themselves in technical or defence-related careers'. The Australian defence department did not respond to questions from the Guardian about the impact of adhering to US policy, including how many Australian service personnel have been prevented from undertaking nuclear submarine training.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The Aukus alliance's workforce strategy, which explicitly seeks to include underrepresented groups, is immediately contradicted by the operational requirements imposed by the US partner.
- It creates a potential diplomatic and ethical rift between Canberra and Washington on social policy, directly affecting the career paths of Australian defence personnel.
- The ban could worsen the already significant crewing challenge for the planned nuclear submarine fleet, threatening the timeline and cost of the Aukus deal.
Background
Under the Aukus security pact, Australia intends to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. To crew these boats, hundreds of Australian sailors and officers must train aboard US submarines and at US bases. In early 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender personnel from serving in the US military, a policy enforced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The policy applies to all foreign personnel operating on US soil or on US vessels.
Key Perspectives
Australian Defence Force internal briefing: States that US policy prevents transgender and non-binary personnel and applicants from entering the nuclear submarine training pathway.
Rear Adm Tish van Stralen: Acknowledges the restriction and states the ADF is seeking alternative training pathways, potentially in the UK, to avoid disadvantaging gender-diverse recruits.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles: Describes the Aukus timeline as presenting a significant training challenge for the navy.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: Ordered the elimination of DEI programs and the removal of transgender personnel, stating the military would accept specific groups.
What to Watch
- Whether the UK government offers training opportunities for Australia's gender-diverse submariners, potentially creating a workaround within the alliance.
- The impact on Australian public and political support for the Aukus agreement as the conflict between its operational needs and social values becomes clearer.
- The number of currently serving ADF personnel whose careers are derailed by the restriction.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedGender-diverse Australian sailors are barred from Aukus nuclear-submarine training, according to documents.Australia news | The Guardian: “Internal Australian defence force documents show transgender and non-binary sailors and officers are explicitly banned from Australia’s nuclear submarine training program because of US policies.”
- SupportedThe briefing says transgender and non-binary ADF personnel and career applicants are currently unable to start the SSN training pathway.Australia news | The Guardian: “Consequently, transgender and nonbinary ADF personnel and ADF career applicants are currently unable to commence the SSN [nuclear-powered attack submarines] training pathway.”
- SupportedThe briefing says ADF personnel undertaking duty in the US, including training, must comply with US policy.Australia news | The Guardian: ““ADF personnel undertaking duty in the US (including training) are required to comply with US policy,” the briefing said.”
- SupportedVan Stralen said potential recruits were told the ADF was “subject to policies and laws in other countries” and that it had a duty of care not to put personnel in harm’s way.Australia news | The Guardian: “But she said potential recruits for the nuclear submarine program were told the ADF was “subject to policies and laws in other countries, so we have to be very mindful”. “We also have an obligation, a duty of care to our people, so we do not want to put our people into any sort of harm’s way”
- SupportedVan Stralen said it would be very difficult to put a gender-diverse person into the training at the moment.Australia news | The Guardian: ““I’m working very closely with navy at the moment and with the submarine agency around the training opportunities because it would be very difficult for me to put a gender-diverse person into that training at the moment.””
- SupportedAustralia has hundreds of sailors and officers training on US nuclear submarines and at US bases.Australia news | The Guardian: “Australia, without a nuclear submarine fleet of its own, has hundreds of sailors and officers training on US nuclear submarines and on US bases.”
- SupportedAustralia is proposed to begin buying Virginia-class submarines in 2032.Australia news | The Guardian: “Under the Aukus deal, it is proposed that Australia will buy three Virginia-class nuclear submarines from the US, beginning in 2032.”
- SupportedHegseth issued a directive last year to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion offices and initiatives.Australia news | The Guardian: “The US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, last year issued a directive to his department “to eliminate all diversity, equity and inclusion offices and initiatives”.”
- SupportedTrump signed an executive order in January 2025 banning transgender service personnel.Australia news | The Guardian: “Donald Trump signed an executive order in January 2025 – the first week of his second term as president – which banned transgender service personnel”
- SupportedHegseth used the quoted phrase when announcing military cuts.Australia news | The Guardian: “Announcing military cuts in September amid continued attacks on diversity, Hegseth declared that the US military would accept “no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals”.”
- SupportedMarles said last week that the Aukus timeline presented a significant training challenge and that more people need to be trained.Australia news | The Guardian: “Last week Australia’s defence minister, Richard Marles, said the Aukus timeline presented the country with a significant “training challenge”. “We just need to be training more people and that’s what we’re doing,” Marles said”
- SupportedThe government’s workforce strategy urges active inclusion of underrepresented groups, including women, First Nations Australians and regional communities.Australia news | The Guardian: “The government’s nuclear-powered submarine workforce strategy urges defence to “proactively expand the talent pool through active inclusion of underrepresented groups, including women, First Nations Australians, regional communities, and individuals who may not traditionally see themselves in technical or defence-related careers”.”