As the very first tactile steps are taken in Australia’s nuclear submarine deal with the United States, an Australian defence expert has reiterated the importance of defending the Indian Ocean against Beijing’s burgeoning might.
The U.S. submarine presence in association with the AUKUS agreement is starting to come to fruition off the coast of Western Australia (WA).
The Virginia-class USS Minnesota has been scouting out new territory during training exercise while based at WA’s naval base off the coast of Perth, where four Virginia Class submarines will be stationed from 2027 under the AUKUS trilateral defence pact.
By the middle of the year, up to 80 U.S. navy personnel will be stationed at the multi-billion-dollar HMAS Stirling base—they’ll be the first of hundreds who will eventually arrive on—or off—Australia’s shores….