A US nuclear-powered submarine with 160 crew, including seven Australians, has docked south of Perth for maintenance ahead of becoming the first vessel to begin regular AUKUS rotations next year.
asserted
submarine → power → rotations
The USS Colorado arrived on Tuesday at HMAS Stirling all the way from Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, as Australian workers, including 15 WA businesses, prepare to carry out maintenance on the Virginia-class submarine.
asserted
workers → arrive → submarine
It’s the fourth maintenance period involving US or UK nuclear-powered submarines at HMAS Stirling in the last two years, with WA set to host regular visits from late 2027 under the AUKUS pact.
asserted
WA → ’ → pact
Speaking at the base on Wednesday, Commander Fleet Base West Commodore Paul Johnson said almost 60 Australian workers would assist with maintenance, including 35 who had trained alongside the US Navy in Pearl Harbor.
asserted
who → speak → Harbor
The work and training includes ship repairs, scaffolding, welding and testing, as well as “simulated radiological scenarios”.
asserted
work → include → repairs
“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,” Rear Admiral Chris Cavanaugh, Commander Submarine Forces Pacific Fleet, told reporters.
asserted
Cavanaugh → be → reporters
UK consul-general for WA, Maria Rennie, described AUKUS as “one of the most important partnerships in our generation”.
asserted
general → describe → 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.
asserted
she → announce → years
During a media tour of the submarine on Wednesday, commanding officer, Captain Justin Reeves, described the vessel as “conventionally armed”, carrying torpedoes and other weapons, rather than being nuclear-armed.
asserted
officer → command → torpedoes
Shortly after a question about whether there would be nuclear weapons aboard the submarine in the future, US Navy spokesman Commander Rick Moore reiterated the military’s longstanding policy of neither confirming nor denying whether its vessels were carrying nuclear weapons.
asserted
vessels → reiterate → weapons
While the USS Colorado is one of the US Navy’s most advanced submarines, the living conditions seem challenging, with Commodore Dan Sutherland telling the tour: “[The submarines] are built for combat, not comfort.”
All 160 submariners aboard are men, despite women being eligible to serve on the vessel.
asserted
women → seem → vessel
Reeves said about a quarter have families, while many of the other crew are single.
asserted
many → say → crew
The sleeping quarters are cramped, with bunks stacked on top of each other and little room to move.
asserted
quarters → stack → other
A sign near the entrance read:
“Don’t be stinky.
asserted
sign → read → entrance
The crew also “hot racks”, meaning they share beds on different shifts, with one sleeping while another is on duty before swapping over.
asserted
another → mean → duty
Reeves said the submarine’s time at sea was “limited by food”, with enough supplies to last a couple of months.
asserted
time → say → months
The crew gets three meals a day prepared on board, which Reeves described as “outstanding”, agreeing submariners were likely among the best fed in the armed forces.
asserted
submariners → get → forces
The crew received an unexpected welcome to WA, with Reeves saying dolphins put on a show near Gage Roads as the submarine approached shore.
asserted
submarine → receive → shore
The Aporia
