PERTH – Off the coast of Western Australia, sonar operators aboard the USS Minnesota, a Virginia-class attack submarine, adjust to the unfamiliar sounds of local marine life, including chattering dolphins. The Minnesota, currently on a training mission from its home port in Guam, is a precursor to the four Virginia-class submarines that will be stationed at an Australian naval base starting in 2027 as part of the AUKUS pact, which aims to enhance Australia's nuclear submarine capabilities.

Inside the control room, crew members use video game-style joysticks to operate the submarine’s advanced photonic mast, which has replaced the traditional periscope. Life on board means long stretches—sometimes up to 100 days—without sunlight, with only intermittent email contact with family to maintain stealth. According to commanding officer Jeffrey Corneille, the Virginia-class submarine is "the most advanced warship in the world," designed to serve as a powerful deterrent. "If someone wakes up and wonders, 'Is today the day?' we make sure they decide, 'Maybe not,'" he says. To support the growing US presence, approximately 50 to 80 American naval personnel will arrive this year at HMAS Stirling, a Western Australian base currently undergoing an AU$8 billion upgrade. Within two years, that number will increase to several hundred.

Peter Dean, director of Foreign Policy and Defence at the United States Studies Centre, highlights HMAS Stirling’s strategic value, given its proximity to Asia and the Indian Ocean. He notes that countering China's expanding naval presence in the region is a key priority for the US. This aligns with broader Pentagon shifts under the Trump administration, which prioritized the Indo-Pacific over the Middle East and Europe. The Virginia-class submarine program has been spared from budget cuts due to its critical role in maintaining regional security. Elbridge Colby, a former high-ranking Pentagon official, emphasized in a recent Senate hearing that attack submarines are "absolutely essential" for Taiwan’s defense, urging increased production to meet both US military needs and its AUKUS commitments.

The USS Minnesota recently relocated from Hawaii to Guam, positioning it closer to Taiwan and the US's only forward-deployed submarine base. Meanwhile, tensions in the region continue to grow. Earlier this year, a Chinese naval task force circled Australia, conducted live-fire drills off its east coast, and then moved through Western Australian waters as the USS Minnesota was docked, underscoring China's ambitions to increase its presence in Australia's vicinity.

As part of AUKUS—Australia’s most expensive defense initiative—Australia will purchase two used Virginia-class submarines in the next decade while collaborating with the UK to develop a new class of nuclear-powered submarines, replacing its ageing diesel fleet. Preparations are already underway, with 115 Australians training with the US nuclear navy and another 130 undergoing nuclear submarine maintenance training at Pearl Harbor.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Colin Murty via Reuters.