Key facts
- An internal ADF briefing says transgender and non-binary personnel cannot commence the SSN training pathway.
- The briefing says ADF personnel on duty in the US, including training, must comply with US policy.
- Australia proposes to buy three Virginia-class submarines from the US beginning in 2032 under Aukus.
- Virginia-class submarines have a complement of 135, more than double Australia's Collins-class crews.
- Rear Adm Tish van Stralen said training opportunities for affected recruits may arise in the UK.
- The Australian defence department did not respond to questions on how many personnel were prevented from training.
Transgender and non-binary Australian navy personnel are barred from starting the nuclear submarine training pathway because US policy prohibits their service on US boats, according to internal Australian defence force documents released under freedom of information laws and reported by the Guardian on November 15, 2026.
An internal defence briefing said ADF policy on equality and inclusion was unchanged but that US government policy is different. It said ADF personnel undertaking duty in the US, including training, are required to comply with US policy, and that transgender and non-binary personnel and career applicants are currently unable to commence the SSN training pathway.
Australia does not yet have a nuclear submarine fleet of its own. Hundreds of its sailors and officers train on US nuclear submarines and at US bases. Under the Aukus deal, Australia proposes to buy three Virginia-class nuclear submarines from the US beginning in 2032. Virginia-class submarines have a complement of 135, more than double the crew of Australia's diesel-electric Collins-class submarines.
At a women in defence event in October, Rear Adm Tish van Stralen was asked how the defence force was managing recruitment of gender-diverse and LGBTQ+ Australians into the nuclear submarine pathway given the US directive. Van Stralen said the ADF was a diverse and equal opportunity employer but that potential recruits were told the ADF is subject to policies and laws in other countries. She said she was working closely with navy and the submarine agency on training opportunities and that it would be very difficult to put a gender-diverse person into that training at the moment. She said the navy would seek alternative career paths and that training opportunities may arise in the UK, which she said had more liberal policies.