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.
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The Netherlands has returned a 3,500-year-old Egyptian sculpture to Egypt, after an investigation confirmed the artefact had been looted and unlawfully removed from the country.
Russia launched a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine’s energy system early on Saturday (7 January), hitting power generation and distribution facilities with more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles, Ukrainian officials have said.
Storm Leonardo hit Spain and Portugal on Tuesday, forcing more than 11,000 people from their homes, as a man in Portugal died after his car was swept away by floodwaters and a second body was found in Malaga.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 7th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Winter weather has brought air travel in the German capital to a complete halt, stranding thousands of passengers as severe icing conditions make runways and aircraft unsafe for operation and force authorities to shut down one of Europe’s key transport hubs.
Storm Leonardo hit Spain and Portugal on Tuesday, forcing more than 11,000 people from their homes, as a man in Portugal died after his car was swept away by floodwaters and a second body was found in Malaga.
An attacker opened fire at the gates of a Shiite Muslim mosque in Islamabad on Friday before detonating a suicide bomb that killed at least 31 people in the deadliest assault of its kind in the capital in more than a decade.
Alphabet is emerging as a frontrunner in the global artificial intelligence race, as analysts and executives say Google has overtaken OpenAI, marking a sharp reversal from a year ago when the company was widely seen as lagging.
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Russia launched a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine’s energy system early on Saturday (7 January), hitting power generation and distribution facilities with more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles, Ukrainian officials have said.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 7th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators have discussed an ambitious goal of reaching a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine by March, though the timeline is widely viewed as unrealistic due to deep disagreements over territory, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks.
At least 31 people have been killed and scores wounded in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, during Friday prayers, prompting widespread international condemnation.
Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal met with senior U.S. officials in Washington, D.C., this week to discuss strengthening military and security cooperation, regional developments and the challenges facing Lebanon, the Lebanese army said on Friday.
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