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US Navy Virginia Class fast-attack submarine USS Colorado has begun its scheduled, month-long maintenance period at HMAS Stirling, the fourth submarine maintenance period in Western Australia since the establishment of the AUKUS security partnership.
USS Colorado (SSN 788) is the third nuclear-powered attack submarine to undergo maintenance in Australia in the last 12 months under AUKUS Pillar 1.
More than 30 trained and certified Australian civilian maintenance technicians from ASC will perform routine maintenance on a Virginia Class submarine in Western Australia for the first time, working alongside specialists from Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility.
Technicians will use a custom-made metal safety walkway, known as a sail “racetrack”. The team will also leverage recent nuclear-powered submarine-specific upgrades made to HMAS Stirling’s Diamantina Pier and other local solutions, such as a pure water plant, high-pressure air compressor and dehumidifier.
ASC chief executive officer Alex Walsh said the maintenance activity was creating valuable opportunities for Australian industry while strengthening the nation’s future submarine enterprise.
“Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine capability will be built through practical experience, and that is exactly what is happening at HMAS Stirling,” Walsh said.
“Western Australian businesses and ASC workers are gaining real experience supporting a Virginia Class submarine, strengthening the industrial capability Australia will need for SRF-West and the decades of submarine sustainment ahead.”
Fifteen WA businesses, including WA-owned and operated Australian Safety Engineers, are providing everything from scaffolding, crane and rigging support to specialist welding equipment, testing and certification, and environmental protection solutions for the submarine maintenance period.
On 26 October, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and his Australian and UK counterparts issued a joint statement naming USS Colorado as the first US Navy Virginia Class fast-attack submarine assigned to Submarine Squadron 3.
Under SRF-West, up to four US submarines and one UK submarine will rotationally operate out of HMAS Stirling.
“With each visit, Australia demonstrates new organic capabilities,” said US Navy Captain Jason Pittman, commander of Submarine Squadron 3.
“During last year’s maintenance period, we successfully delivered pure water from an Australian-designed and built plant and validated the sail racetrack was fit for purpose. During the UK’s maintenance period in February, we validated the high-pressure air compressor and dehumidifier systems.
“Now, with the racetrack, we’re using it to conduct maintenance, utilising the pier upgrades and leveraging a workforce of about three dozen fully qualified and certified Australian civilian nuclear-powered submarine maintenance workers.”
The United Kingdom’s Royal Navy will be an active participant in the SMP.
“We don’t get many opportunities like this,” said Sir Stephen Lovegrove, the UK prime minister’s special representative for AUKUS.
“The more the three nations work together to maintain submarines – whether American or British – the faster we’ll be able to uplift our Australian partner’s knowledge and skills and increase commonality across our submarine forces.”
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