The United States Navy will deploy a nuclear-powered submarine squadron to a strategic Australian navy port this year, Canberra’s defense minister said on Friday.
– Under the AUKUS agreement, the four US-commanded submarines will operate out of the west coast Australian port on a rotating basis from next year.
– US Submarine Squadron 3 personnel will oversee the operation of the vessels, working with Australian and British personnel, Defense Minister Richard Marles said.
– The rotating US force will train and lay the groundwork for Australia later operating its own nuclear-powered submarines, Marles said, adding the arrivals showed “AUKUS is on track and it is happening now”.
– US officials have said the base near Perth – where the submarines in rotation will be located – gives its navy closer proximity to the South China Sea, which is strategic in light of tensions between Beijing and Taiwan.
– Marles’s visit to London this week for talks on AUKUS was overshadowed by the shock resignation of his UK counterpart John Healey over Britain’s funding of defence projects.
– Healey pledged support for AUKUS after meeting with Marles on Thursday – but had gone from the role before a scheduled tour of the Portsmouth navy base.
– Under AUKUS, Australia’s most expensive defense project, Canberra will buy three second-hand US submarines from 2032.
– It also plans to build a new class of nuclear-powered submarine with Britain.
– The deal has faced scrutiny over whether slow submarine production rates in the United States and Britain will leave Australia without the submarines it needs by 2040.