US Nuclear Submarine Begins Scouting Around Australia as AUKUS Takes Shape

The first steps towards realising the AUKUS defence pact have begun with the arrival of the USS Minnesota.

U.S. Navy officers stand guard aboard Virginia-class fast attack submarine USS Minnesota (SSN-783) after the vessel docked at HMAS Stirling in Rockingham near Perth, Australia on Feb. 26, 2025. Colin Murty - Pool/Getty Images

As the very first tactile steps are taken in Australia’s nuclear submarine deal with the United States, an Australian defence expert has reiterated the importance of defending the Indian Ocean against Beijing’s burgeoning might.

The U.S. submarine presence in association with the AUKUS agreement is starting to come to fruition off the coast of Western Australia (WA).