By Kirsty Needham
PERTH () – Inside the command center of the US Navy’s Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Minnesota, stationed off the western coastline of Australia, sonar technicians are adapting to the sounds of dolphins in unfamiliar waters as the area anticipates an increased presence of American submarines.
During a training mission from its homeport in Guam, USS Minnesota leads the way for four Virginia-class submarines that will be stationed at a Western Australian naval base starting in 2027 as part of the AUKUS agreement aimed at transferring nuclear-powered submarine capabilities to Australia.
Crew use video game joysticks to interrogate screen images from a photonic mast that has replaced a periscope. Life aboard can mean up to 100 days without seeing sunlight, and intermittent communication with families via email to maintain stealth.
The commanding officer, Jeffrey Corneille, states that the Virginia-class submarine is "the most technologically advanced naval vessel globally."
He states that if someone wakes up and asks 'Is today the day?' we ensure they also think 'Perhaps not,' highlighting its preventive impact.
Around 50-80 United States navy personnel will arrive by the middle of the year at Western Australia's HMAS Stirling base, which is undergoing an A$8 billion ($5 billion) upgrade to prepare for the "Submarine Rotational Force West", Australian officials have said.
Within two years, these figures will balloon to include hundreds of U.S. Navy personnel and support staff.
Peter Dean, who leads Foreign Policy and Defence studies at the University of Sydney’s United States Studies Centre, noted that the positioning of HMAS Stirling, which is nearer to Asia and the Indian Ocean compared to the U.S. Pacific Fleet base in Hawaii, holds significant strategic importance for the United States.
He stated that protecting the Indian Ocean from China’s growing capabilities and influence is crucial.
The Virginia submarine program has received an exemption from the Pentagon’s budget reductions because the Trump administration is shifting its focus away from the Middle East and Europe towards the Indo-Pacific region, according to him.
The third-highest-ranking Pentagon official during the Trump administration, Elbridge Colby, stated at a recent U.S. Senate confirmation hearing that attack submarines are “crucially important” for ensuring the defense of Taiwan remains feasible. He emphasized that production levels should be increased initially to address American requirements and also to uphold commitments to supply submarines to Australia as part of the AUKUS agreement.
In November, the USS Minnesota relocated its home port from Hawaii to Guam, a U.S. Pacific territory nearer to Taiwan and close to the sole forward-deployed U.S. submarine base.
Australian authorities have pointed out that a Chinese naval fleet which sailed around Australia in February and March, conducting unusual live-fire exercises near the eastern coast that interfered with regular flights, then moved past Western Australia simultaneously with the arrival of the USS Minnesota at a port facility, underscores Beijing’s intention to increase its presence regularly within the region surrounding Australia.
Through AUKUS, which marks Australia's costliest defense initiative, the country plans to acquire two used Virginia-class submarines in the coming decade. Additionally, they aim to develop a new class of nuclear-powered submarines alongside Britain, intended to supersede their current aging diesel-powered fleet.
There are currently 115 Australians undergoing training in the U.S. nuclear navy program or stationed with Virginia-class submarines, along with another 130 individuals who are being trained for nuclear submarine maintenance at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, according to statements made by U.S. Navy officials.
(Reported by Kirsty Needham in Perth; edited by Giles Elgood)
