Bisalloy Steels has secured a roughly US$2 million purchase order from General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) to supply HY80 steel plate for Virginia-class submarine construction, marking the first entry of Australian-made steel into that supply chain. 

The breakthrough follows Bisalloy's qualification under the Australian Government's Defence Industry Vendor Qualification Program, designed to help local firms meet the rigorous standards of the US submarine industrial base. 

Achieving this required close cooperation among Bisalloy, BlueScope, the Australian Submarine Agency, GDEB and the Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Submarines, along with extensive testing to validate the material. 

In the supply chain, BlueScope produces the raw steel in Australia, and Bisalloy performs the specialized processing and heat treatment that transforms it into HY80, a high-strength steel built for demanding naval applications requiring toughness and reliability. 

Kylie Wright, the Australian Submarine Agency's Head of Workforce and Supply Chain, called the order a major milestone for Australian industry and evidence of the payoff from sustained investment in supplier capability.