U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Appointed Special Assistant to Help Australia Acquire Nuclear Submarine

The Pentagon has appointed a U.S. Navy rear admiral as special assistant to help the Australia – United Kingdom – United States (AUKUS) partnership formed to enable Canberra acquire a nuclear-powered submarine carrying conventional weapons.

Rear Adm. Dave Goggins was selected as a Special Assistant on June 17, the Navy announced.

Goggins is currently the Program Executive Officer Attack Submarines (PEO SSN), and will be relieved by Rear Adm. Jonathon Rucker.  Goggins will report to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN RD&A).

“Under his (Goggins’) leadership, I’m confident the AUKUS team will help meet the objective of determining the best path toward equipping the Royals Australian Navy with a nuclear-powered, conventionally-armed class of attack submarines by March 2023.  Rear Adm. Goggins will also be leading the planning and standup of the enduring U.S. Navy efforts to implement whichever approach the Australian’s choose at the end of the consultation period,” Secretary Del Toro said.

Goggins’ prior achievements include serving at the Virginia Class Program Manager where he delivered three new-construction submarines to the Fleet and initiated the design of the Virginia Payload Module and Acoustic Superiority upgrades for the Virginia Class. He also served as the Columbia Class SSBN program manager where he accomplished major design and acquisition milestones. As PEO SSN, Goggins oversaw both the construction and delivery of Virginia Class SSNs and also lifecyle and maintenance of in-service attack submarines.