The UK and US Deploy Nuclear Submarines to Australian Naval Bases: What Is Their Intent?

[Global Times Report, Reporter Guo Yuandan] The U.S. Department of Defense recently issued a joint statement on its official website stating that the "Virginia" class fast attack nuclear submarine USS Colorado will become the first U.S. nuclear-powered submarine deployed in Australia under the AUKUS framework. Military experts interviewed by the Global Times indicated that this marks the first regular forward deployment of U.S. nuclear submarines in Australia since World War II and is a key step in transitioning AUKUS from an agreement to practical deployment.

The statement revealed that the U.S. Secretary of Defense, the Australian Minister of Defense, and the British Secretary of State for Defense announced that USS Colorado has been designated as the first U.S. Navy "Virginia" class fast attack nuclear submarine to join the "Western Submarine Rotation Force," with deployment set to begin by the end of 2027.

In 2021, the U.S., U.K., and Australia announced the formation of a new security alliance called AUKUS and signed an agreement for the U.S. and U.K. to provide nuclear submarines to Australia. This agreement has faced criticism from the outset due to Australia tearing up its conventional submarine procurement agreement with France, as well as widespread concerns about the nuclear proliferation risks it poses and the exacerbation of "camp confrontation" in the regional security landscape.

Reports indicate that the USS Colorado will join the Stirling Naval Base in Western Australia, which will eventually rotate four U.S. nuclear submarines and one British submarine. The British Royal Navy's attack submarine HMS Anson arrived at Stirling Base in February this year, where it is undergoing maintenance by an Australian support team.

"This is the first time since World War II that U.S. nuclear submarines will have a regular forward presence in Australia, marking a shift from temporary port visits to rotational deployments," military expert Zhang Junsha told the Global Times on the 28th. He stated that this is also a crucial step for the AUKUS plan to move from a paper agreement to practical deployment.

Military expert Song Zhongping told the Global Times on the 28th that the U.S. and U.K. can use this deployment opportunity to train Australian crew members, addressing Australia's lack of operational experience with nuclear submarines; on the other hand, the port renovations and supporting infrastructure will be funded by Australia, effectively making Australia bear the costs and helping the U.S. and U.K. establish a new strategic foothold in the Indo-Pacific region.

Regarding the U.S. decision to deploy nuclear submarines at the Stirling Naval Base in Western Australia, Zhang Junsha believes this move deserves close attention. "On one hand, the nuclear submarines stationed here can deter trade routes in the northern Indian Ocean and control important straits such as the Strait of Malacca; on the other hand, from this base, they can access the South China Sea via the Java Sea and the Philippine Sea, or conduct reconnaissance in waters east of Taiwan."

The U.S., Australia, and other countries emphasized in their joint statement that this move is "a decisive step to strengthen collective deterrence capabilities in the Pacific region." "Essentially, it expands the current island chain deployment system based on Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines into the South Pacific and Indian Ocean," Zhang Junsha analyzed. The presence of U.S. and U.K. nuclear submarines at the Western Australia base effectively adds a new underwater operational foothold for allies targeting the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, and the western Pacific, bringing significant instability to regional maritime routes and maritime security in the South China Sea, East China Sea, and western Pacific.

Zhang Junsha concluded that the rotational presence of U.S. and U.K. nuclear submarines at the Western Australia naval base will have serious negative impacts on the maritime security situation in the Asia-Pacific. "Leveraging this base for rapid deployment to the western Pacific will significantly enhance the response speed of U.S. and U.K. nuclear submarines in the event of regional emergencies or armed conflicts. At the same time, this move will intensify underwater military competition in the Asia-Pacific: nuclear submarines have long endurance and strong concealment, making them suitable for intelligence reconnaissance and other missions, which will compel other countries to strengthen anti-submarine preparedness and increase the risks of underwater confrontation."