Posted on 03/17/2025 5:29:33 AM PDT by buwaya
On a training exercise from its home port in Guam, USS Minnesota is a forerunner to four Virginia class submarines that will be hosted at a Western Australian naval base from 2027, under the AUKUS partnership to transfer nuclear submarine capability to Australia. Commanding officer Jeffrey Corneille says the Virginia class submarine is “the most advanced warship in the world.”
“If someone wakes up and they say ‘Is today the day?’, we make sure that they say ‘Maybe not’,” he says, describing its deterrent role.
Around 50-80 United States navy personnel will arrive by the middle of the year at Western Australia’s HMAS Stirling base, which is undergoing an A$8 billion ($5 billion) upgrade to prepare for the “Submarine Rotational Force West,” Australian officials have said.
In two years, those numbers will swell to hundreds of U.S. navy personnel and support crew.
“Defending the Indian Ocean against rising Chinese capabilities and power is important,” he said.
The Virginia submarine program has been exempted from Pentagon budget cuts as the Trump administration focuses less on the Middle East and Europe, and more on the Indo Pacific, he said.
The Trump administration’s number three Pentagon official, Elbridge Colby, told a U.S. Senate confirmation hearing this month the attack submarines are “absolutely essential” for making the defense of Taiwan viable, and production rates must be lifted to first meet U.S. needs and also to fulfill its obligations to sell submarines to Australia under the AUKUS pact.
Under AUKUS, Australia’s most expensive defense project, Australia will buy two used Virginia class submarines next decade, and build a new class of nuclear powered submarine with Britain.
(Excerpt) Read more at gcaptain.com ...
Good news. Thanks for posting. SEa Air and Land.
This means a whole lot of Polywogs are gonna be getting their shells!
Why? Oz is not our friend.
Ask Trump, Hegseth and Elbridge Colby (Pentagon #3), named in the article.
Yeah probably. Messy on a nuke sub I’d think.
In response to woke Aussies online, I've been saying for several years that when the Chinese navy sails through the Bass Strait the Australians will awaken to reality and come to their senses.
It might be nice to believe I'm a prophet, but, in truth, anybody with a functioning brain could see that glaring handwriting on the wall.
Unfortunately, the wokies do not have functioning brains.
“Unfortunately, the wokies do not have functioning brains.”
That goes without saying. And you have long since won your point IN AUSTRALIA.
What I’m much more worried about these days is the state of US public opinion.
What do you mean? I don't understand.
US public opinion has turned against defense of Ukraine, and by extension Europe/NATO. Europe has become the popular enemy on FR, but thats a symptom common across social media.
I am waiting for the moment that the same elements turn against US Asian allies. If Trump decides to try make a deal with Xi re Taiwan, we will see it.
A turning against the white world for some odd reason, the white world with the exception of the remaining few whites in Russia and in the United States, have become the hated race here and calls for their demise and conquest, constant.
I think you are being a hysteric, but that is not strange on FR. You overvalue woke bullshit. That is breaking down rapidly in the US (thanks Trump), and has long since lost purchase in Europe, which took all its urgency from the US. It was a US import.
Hysteric is a ridiculous insult to use for me, and the rest of the post made no sense either, try it again.
“A turning against the white world” is hysteric.
Where is that visible? Where is that significant?
And what does it mean?
**** US public opinion has turned against defense of Ukraine, and by extension Europe/NATO. Europe has become the popular enemy on FR, but thats a symptom common across social media.****
I don’t know about public opinion and social media, but on FR there is a “turning against the white world for some odd reason, the white world with the exception of the remaining few whites in Russia and in the United States, have become the hated race here and calls for their demise and conquest, constant.” no matter the white country, there seems to be no support for it to survive, or to be a friend or ally to America unless of course it is Russia.
I've lived in Europe. I love Europe and the Europeans. It's like family.
But I do think Europeans need to be shocked into reality before it's too late, and I think Trump thinks the same thing.
The same is true throughout Western Civilization, including Australia.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.