USS Hawaii (SSN 776) has now departed HMAS Stirling, marking the conclusion of a historic submarine maintenance period in Western Australia. As part of the AUKUS partnership, Royal Australian Navy personnel assigned to submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) worked alongside their US Navy counterparts to make repairs on the US Virginia class SSN in Australia during a multi-week Submarine Tendered Maintenance Period (STMP).
“This is the first time since World War II that the U.S. has conducted submarine maintenance in Australian waters, and certainly the first instance in history of a joint American-Australian team performing maintenance on a nuclear-powered attack submarine,” said Rear Adm. Lincoln Reifsteck, U.S. Navy AUKUS Integration and Acquisition program manager.
“The importance of this event cannot be overstated. These last few weeks provided essential maintenance and stewardship experience for our Australian partners in advance of establishing a sovereign SSN force in Australia.”
The STMP represents a significant step toward achieving the AUKUS objective of delivering a sovereign, conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability for Australia.
During the STMP, the crews of USS Emory S. Land and USS Hawaii performed routine and emergent maintenance and conducted training that included diving operations to inspect the torpedo tube muzzle doors, towed array system, and the simulated movement of a large pump weighing more than 3,500 pounds from within the boat. Royal Navy Sailors observed the STMP maintenance events to integrate learning opportunities for future UK SSN port visits to Western Australia.
“Successfully completing the STMP means the Royal Australian Navy has taken a major step forward in our ability to maintain and sustain SSNs,” said Rear Adm. Matt Buckley, Head of Nuclear Submarine Capability within the Australian Submarine Agency.
“For the first time, Australian personnel undertook maintenance on a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered attack submarine in our own waters. As we continue to conduct more frequent SSN visits to HMAS Stirling the amount of work conducted by Australians will grow as we build our sovereign capabilities.”
AUKUS is a strategic partnership that will promote a safe, free, and open Indo-Pacific, enhance national security, and uplift the industrial bases of the three nations. AUKUS Pillar 1 is assisting Australia in acquiring a sovereign conventionally armed SSN capability by the early 2030s.
“Each SSN visit to HMAS Stirling has a set of goals and objectives, with each one designed to demonstrate increasing capabilities and stewardship,” said Rear Adm. Chris Shepherd, the UK’s Defence Nuclear Organisation AUKUS Director and Senior Responsible Owner for the Replacement Nuclear Submarine Programme. “The STMP demonstrated the synergy we have within the trilateral partners and sets us up for future port visits.”
This submarine maintenance period is another clear demonstration of the commitment our AUKUS partners have in assisting Australia to acquire conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines at the earliest possible date, while also adhering to the highest nuclear stewardship and non-proliferation standards.