Aboard the USS Minnesota, a Virginia-class attack submarine navigating off the Western Australian coast, sonar operators adjust to the unfamiliar sounds of dolphins in these new waters—where the U.S. submarine presence is set to expand significantly. Currently on a training mission from its home port in Guam, the USS Minnesota is a precursor to the four Virginia-class submarines that will be stationed at a Western Australian naval base starting in 2027 under the AUKUS partnership, which aims to transfer nuclear submarine capabilities to Australia.

The crew operates sophisticated technology, using video game-style joysticks to analyze screen images from a photonic mast that has replaced the traditional periscope. Life aboard means spending up to 100 days without sunlight and communicating with loved ones only through intermittent email to maintain operational secrecy. Commanding officer Jeffrey Corneille describes the Virginia-class submarine as "the most advanced warship in the world," emphasizing its deterrent role by saying, "If someone wakes up and they say, 'Is today the day?' we make sure that they say, 'Maybe not.'"

By midyear, approximately 50 to 80 U.S. Navy personnel will be stationed at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, a base undergoing an AU$8 billion ($5 billion) upgrade to accommodate the "Submarine Rotational Force West." Within two years, the number of U.S. naval personnel and support crew will increase into the hundreds. Strategically located closer to Asia and the Indian Ocean than the U.S. Pacific Fleet headquarters in Hawaii, HMAS Stirling is of growing importance to U.S. defense strategy. Peter Dean, director of Foreign Policy and Defence at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, highlights the significance of bolstering defenses in the Indian Ocean against China's expanding military presence.

The Virginia-class submarine program remains exempt from Pentagon budget cuts as U.S. defense priorities shift away from the Middle East and Europe to focus on the Indo-Pacific. Elbridge Colby, a former high-ranking Pentagon official, told a U.S. Senate confirmation hearing that attack submarines are "absolutely essential" for ensuring Taiwan's defense, emphasizing the need to accelerate production to meet both U.S. military demands and commitments under AUKUS to supply Australia with submarines.


In November, the USS Minnesota relocated its home port from Hawaii to Guam, positioning it closer to Taiwan and the U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed submarine base. Meanwhile, China's military maneuvers have underscored its strategic ambitions. A Chinese naval task force recently circumnavigated Australia, conducting live-fire drills off the east coast that disrupted commercial airline operations. The fleet then passed Western Australia during the USS Minnesota’s port call before continuing into the Indian Ocean. Australian officials view these movements as an indication of China's intent to operate more frequently in the region.

Under the AUKUS agreement, Australia’s most expensive defense initiative, the country will acquire two second-hand Virginia-class submarines in the next decade and collaborate with Britain on developing a new class of nuclear-powered submarines to replace its aging diesel-powered fleet. In preparation, 115 Australian personnel are currently embedded in U.S. Navy nuclear training programs or serving aboard Virginia-class submarines, with an additional 130 training in nuclear submarine maintenance at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.