US expands submarine presence in Australia as AUKUS advances

The US is ramping up its submarine presence off the Australian coast as part of the AUKUS agreement, with the Virginia-class attack submarine USS Minnesota currently conducting exercises in the region.

The vessel, operating from its home port in Guam, is seen as a forerunner to four US Virginia-class submarines that will be stationed at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia from 2027, Caliber.Az reports via international media.

According to Commanding Officer Jeffrey Corneille, the Virginia-class submarine is “the most advanced warship in the world” and plays a key deterrent role. “If someone wakes up and they say, ‘Is today the day?’ we make sure that they say, ‘Maybe not,’” he stated.

The Australian government has allocated AU$ 8 billion (US$5 billion) for upgrades at HMAS Stirling in preparation for the Submarine Rotational Force West, which will host US submarines and personnel. Between 50 and 80 US Navy personnel are expected to arrive by mid-2025, with numbers set to increase to several hundred within two years.

The expansion of US submarine operations in Australia comes amid increasing Chinese naval activity in the region. Australian officials reported that a Chinese navy task group recently circumnavigated Australia, conducting live-fire drills off the east coast before passing Western Australia and heading into the Indian Ocean.

Peter Dean, director of Foreign Policy and Defence at the United States Studies Centre, emphasized the strategic significance of HMAS Stirling. “Defending the Indian Ocean against rising Chinese capabilities and power is important,” he said.

The Trump administration has prioritized strengthening submarine capabilities in the Indo-Pacific, exempting the Virginia-class submarine program from budget cuts. Elbridge Colby, a senior Pentagon official, recently told the US Senate that these submarines are “absolutely essential” for the defence of Taiwan.

Under AUKUS, Australia will acquire two used Virginia-class submarines next decade and collaborate with the UK on a new class of nuclear-powered submarines. Training efforts are already underway, with 115 Australian personnel currently integrated into the US nuclear navy training program and 130 more undergoing nuclear submarine maintenance training in Pearl Harbor.

By Tamilla Hasanova