Australia's toddlers of today are being primed to work and serve on the nation's future fleet of nuclear submarines.

Expanding pre-school to younger children across all parts of South Australia is a key strategy to ensure eight nuclear-powered submarines will be in service by the 2050s, Defence SA chief executive Matt Opie says.

Adelaide is set to become the submarine construction hub after Australia entered the AUKUS security pact with the US and UK, and local children could play a key role.

"These three-year-olds will be the ones serving on the first of fleet for SSN-AUKUS," Mr Opie said at the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition on Wednesday.

"We need to give them the opportunities to get the education and the skills required to serve on those platforms - whether they're

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