Washington, Oct 26 (IANS) The United States has designated USS Colorado as its first submarine for a planned rotational force in Western Australia beginning in late 2027, the three AUKUS partners announced on Monday.
The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine will be assigned to Submarine Rotational Force–West, which is projected to host up to four American submarines and one British submarine at HMAS Stirling, a Royal Australian Navy base.
The designation was announced in a joint statement by US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, and British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting.
The announcement comes ahead of a US submarine maintenance period beginning later this week. The partners said that activity would further demonstrate Australia’s growing ability to sustain American and British nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines.
“The selection of USS Colorado (SSN 788) as the first submarine assigned to SRF-West in 2027 marks a significant milestone for AUKUS Pillar I and is a decisive step in strengthening collective deterrence in the Pacific,” the statement said.
The partners said the rotational force would help Australia prepare to own, operate, maintain and regulate a sovereign, conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability.
It would also support submarine deployments by expanding maintenance options and the infrastructure needed to sustain operations in the region, according to the statement.
The statement described the planned force as operating at Australia’s invitation and on terms mutually determined by the participating countries.
Its operations will be governed by relevant international agreements among the United States, Australia and Britain, including the US–Australia Force Posture Agreement.
The three governments also reaffirmed their obligations under international nuclear agreements.
AUKUS activities associated with the rotational force would be conducted consistently with the partners’ respective obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the statement said.
It separately cited Australia’s obligations under the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, also known as the Treaty of Rarotonga.
The capability Australia is preparing to acquire was described as conventionally armed and nuclear-powered. The joint statement did not announce an Australian nuclear weapons capability.
The partners said President Donald Trump, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham had reaffirmed that AUKUS was moving “full steam ahead”.
Preparations for the force have included arrangements for maintenance, logistics and personnel support. In June, Australia announced the re-establishment of US Submarine Squadron 3 to oversee American submarine rotations, alongside a maintenance organisation and Naval Support Activity Stirling.
That announcement said more than 200 Royal Australian Navy personnel were undertaking training and postings in the United States, while more than 220 Australian industry personnel were gaining experience at Pearl Harbour Naval Shipyard.
USS Colorado was commissioned on March 17, 2018. It is the 15th Virginia-class submarine and the fifth built to the redesigned Block III configuration. It is the fourth US Navy vessel named for the state of Colorado.
–IANS
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