A US nuclear-powered submarine carrying 160 crew, including seven Australians, has arrived at HMAS Stirling south of Perth for maintenance ahead of regular AUKUS rotations beginning next year.
The USS Colorado, a Virginia-class fast-attack submarine, reached the Western Australian naval base on Tuesday after sailing from Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Australian workers and 15 Western Australian businesses will support the maintenance period.
It is the fourth maintenance visit by a US or UK nuclear-powered submarine to HMAS Stirling in the past two years. The base is expected to host regular visits under the AUKUS pact from late 2027.
Maintenance work at HMAS Stirling
Almost 60 Australian workers are due to assist with the work, including 35 who have trained alongside the US Navy in Pearl Harbor, Commodore Paul Johnson, Commander Fleet Base West, said on Wednesday.
The training and maintenance activities include ship repairs, scaffolding, welding and testing, as well as simulated radiological scenarios.
Rear Admiral Chris Cavanaugh, Commander Submarine Forces Pacific Fleet, said no radiological work was taking place during the current maintenance period.
“There is no actual radiological work going on as part of the submarine maintenance period, but we’re continuing to build the skills toward that in late 2027 and into 2028,” he said.
Maria Rennie, the UK consul-general for Western Australia, described AUKUS as “one of the most important partnerships in our generation”.
“In the five years since the partnership was first announced, the world has only become more complex, more contested, and more technologically competitive,” she said. “AUKUS is fundamental to our collective security and our collective deterrence in that more contested world.”
During a media tour of the USS Colorado, its commanding officer, Captain Justin Reeves, described the submarine as conventionally armed, carrying torpedoes and other weapons.
A US Navy spokesman, Commander Rick Moore, reiterated the military’s policy of neither confirming nor denying whether its vessels are carrying nuclear weapons when asked whether nuclear weapons could be aboard in future.
The submarine’s cramped living quarters include bunks stacked above one another, with crew members sharing beds on different shifts. A sign near the sleeping area tells sailors: “Don’t be stinky. Take a shower. Change your socks. Wash your sheets.”
All 160 crew members currently aboard are men, although women are eligible to serve on the vessel. Captain Reeves said about a quarter of the crew have families, while many of the others are single.
The crew receives three meals a day prepared on board. Captain Reeves said the submarine’s time at sea was “limited by food”, with supplies lasting a couple of months, while describing the meals as “outstanding”.
The crew also received an unexpected welcome on its approach to Western Australia, when dolphins were seen near Gage Roads.
