US nuclear submarine squadron set for deployment to Australia
The United States Navy will deploy a nuclear-powered submarine squadron to a strategic Australian naval port this year, Canberra’s Defence Minister said on Friday, News.Az reports, citing AFP.
Under the AUKUS agreement, the four US-commanded submarines will operate on a rotating basis from a west coast Australian port starting next year.
US Submarine Squadron 3 personnel will oversee the operation of the vessels, working in coordination with Australian and British personnel, Defence Minister Richard Marles said.
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The rotating US presence is intended to support training and help establish the foundations for Australia’s future operation of its own nuclear-powered submarines. Marles said the arrivals demonstrate that “AUKUS is on track and it is happening now.”
US officials have stated that the base near Perth—where the rotating submarines will be stationed—provides closer proximity to the South China Sea, a strategically significant area amid ongoing tensions involving Beijing and Taiwan.
Marles’ visit to London this week for AUKUS talks was overshadowed by the sudden resignation of his UK counterpart John Healey over Britain’s defence funding issues.
Despite the resignation, Healey had expressed support for AUKUS after meeting Marles on Thursday, although he left his post before a scheduled visit to the Portsmouth naval base.
Under AUKUS, Australia’s most expensive defence project, Canberra plans to purchase three second-hand US submarines from 2032.
It also intends to build a new class of nuclear-powered submarines in cooperation with Britain.
However, the agreement has faced scrutiny amid concerns that slow submarine production rates in the United States and Britain could leave Australia short of submarines by 2040.
By Nijat Babayev
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