The USS Minnesota, a Virginia class attack submarine, is conducting training off Western Australia ahead of a significant U.S. naval expansion under the AUKUS pact. From 2027, four Virginia class submarines will be based at HMAS Stirling as part of the deal to transfer nuclear submarine capabilities
The U.S. submarine rotation will begin with 50-80 navy personnel arriving at HMAS Stirling this year, increasing to hundreds within two years. The base is undergoing an A$8 billion ($5 billion) upgrade to accommodate the Submarine Rotational Force West.
The strategic location of Western Australia, closer to Asia and the Indian Ocean than the U.S. Pacific Fleet headquarters in Hawaii, enhances the Indo-Pacific defence posture, experts say. Peter Dean, director of Foreign Policy and Defence at the University of Sydney, noted the deployment is key to countering China’s naval presence in the region.
The Virginia class submarine program has been exempted from U.S. budget cuts, with the Trump administration prioritising Indo-Pacific defence. Former Pentagon official Elbridge Colby recently told the U.S. Senate that attack submarines are "absolutely essential" for Taiwan’s defence, stressing the need to ramp up production.
The USS Minnesota moved its home port from Hawaii to Guam in November, reinforcing the U.S. forward-deployed presence. The shift follows increased Chinese naval activity, including a Chinese task force circumnavigating Australia in February and March while holding live-fire drills.
Under AUKUS, Australia will purchase two used Virginia class submarines next decade and co-develop a new nuclear-powered submarine with Britain, replacing its ageing diesel fleet. Currently, 115 Australian personnel are training on U.S. submarines, with 130 more in nuclear maintenance training in Hawaii.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar wi...
An Iranian tanker was hit by U.S. forces on Saturday near Iran's key oil export hub, Kharg Island, in the Gulf...
Spanish authorities are preparing a new site in Ceuta to accommodate hundreds of migrants who remain on the str...
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar with the matter said. They were met by Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, according to three senior Iranian sources. Washington is escalating pressure in hopes of securing concessions in future negotiations.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 4th of September, covering the latest developments.
Two people have been rescued alive from a tunnel in Nepal, nine days after catastrophic floods devastated the country, as rescuers continue searching for survivors.
A Chinese national was pulled alive from a tunnel in Nepal on Saturday, authorities said, 10 days after a wall of ice, rock and mud tore through a Himalayan valley, killing more than 1,300 people and leaving more than 5,600 missing.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar with the matter said. They were met by Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
Spanish authorities are preparing a new site in Ceuta to accommodate hundreds of migrants who remain on the streets following large-scale arrivals in July, local media reported Saturday.
At least two people were killed and dozens injured on Friday after an explosion at a military barracks in the Bolivian municipality of Viacha, about 30 km (20 miles) from La Paz, Defence Minister Ernesto Justiniano said.
The resolution, sponsored by African countries and led by Togo, passed by 164 votes to one, with six abstentions. The United States was the only country to vote against it.
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