Australia to Let US Use Future Submarine Facility Under AUKUS, Says Defense Minister

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said Sunday that the United States would be able to use new defense facilities planned in Western Australia to help deliver submarines under the AUKUS nuclear submarine pact.

The government on Saturday announced a A$12 billion upgrade of the Henderson shipyard near Perth, part of a 20-year plan to turn it into the maintenance hub for Australia’s AUKUS fleet. Marles told ABC television the facility would primarily support Australia’s submarines but “in the context of AUKUS” would also be available to the US.

“This is about sustaining Australia’s future submarines, but I would expect in the future this would be available to the US,” he said.

The AUKUS agreement, signed by Australia, the US and Britain in 2021, will see Washington sell Virginia-class nuclear submarines to Canberra while Britain and Australia co-develop a new AUKUS-class sub. The pact, worth hundreds of billions of dollars, is designed to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific.

Canberra has already invested A$127 million in upgrades at Henderson, which will also build new army landing craft and general-purpose frigates, supporting about 10,000 jobs.

Despite a formal review of AUKUS by the Trump administration, bipartisan leaders in the US Congress have voiced strong support for the pact. Australia, which signed a 50-year treaty with Britain in July to reinforce cooperation, has said it remains confident the deal will go ahead.