The Albanese government will make a $12 billion upgrade to the Henderson submarine base in Western Australia.

The funding, announced on Sunday, will provide for the construction of surface vessels for the Australian Defence Force.

It will also cover facilities to support the sustainment of surface combatant vessels, contingency docking capabilities and depot-level maintenance including loading docks.

The funding will be made over a decade and has been designed to bolster Australia’s naval capabilities and support the country’s role in the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership.

Australia has planned to buy and build nuclear-powered submarines with Britain and the United States from the early 2030s under the AUKUS program.

The timing comes ahead of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's trip

See Full Page