Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said on June 12 that the U.S. Navy will deploy a squadron of nuclear-powered submarines to a strategic naval base in Australia later this year.
According to AFP, four U.S.-led submarines will begin operating on a rotational basis from a port on Australia’s west coast starting next year under the trilateral AUKUS security partnership among Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.
Marles said personnel from the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Squadron 3 will work alongside Australian and British counterparts to oversee submarine operations.
He added that the rotating U.S. submarine presence will help train Australian personnel and establish the foundations needed for Australia to eventually operate its own nuclear-powered submarine fleet.
“The deployment demonstrates that the AUKUS agreement is progressing as planned,” Marles said.
U.S. officials have said the base near Perth, where the submarines will be stationed, will improve the U.S. Navy’s access to the South China Sea. The location carries strategic significance amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Taiwan.
Under the AUKUS program, Australia’s largest-ever defense procurement project, Canberra plans to purchase three secondhand U.S. nuclear-powered submarines beginning in 2032.
Australia has also agreed to jointly develop and build a new class of nuclear-powered submarines with the United Kingdom.
However, AFP noted that slow submarine production rates in both the United States and the United Kingdom have raised concerns that Australia may not receive the submarines it requires under the AUKUS framework by 2040.
According to AFP, Marles traveled to London this week for AUKUS-related discussions. The visit, however, received limited attention after British Defense Secretary John Healey stepped down amid issues related to the country’s defense budget.