Fast-attack submarine USS Minnesota prepares to moor at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, Feb. 25, 2025. (James Caliva/U.S. Navy)
The U.S. Navy on Thursday reactivated Submarine Squadron 3 to support planned sub rotations in Western Australia.
The squadron will support Submarine Rotational Force-West, under which U.S. and British fast-attack submarines will begin rotations to HMAS Stirling near Perth in 2027, the Navy said in a Thursday news release.
The service did not announce which submarines would comprise the squadron. The rotational fleet was created as part of the AUKUS pact, a September 2021 agreement creating a security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The reactivated squadron is part of an overall effort by the U.S. armed forces to forward position more troops, sea vessels, aircraft and logistics capacity in the Pacific. The positioning serves to both deter potential adversaries such as China and Russia and maintain proximity to them in the event of actual conflict.
Submarine Squadron 3 operated out of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam before decommissioning in February 2012.
Five of its six subs were reassigned to Squadrons 1 and 7 at Pearl Harbor, with the sixth assigned to Squadron 15 on Guam.
Personnel from the reactivated Submarine Squadron 3 will integrate with their counterparts in the Australian navy to provide maintenance, logistics and operational support for all U.S. and U.K. subs at HMAS Stirling, the news release states.
“Adding an additional forward-positioned submarine squadron in the Indo-Pacific enhances our presence, agility, and responsiveness across a range of operations,” Rear Adm. Chris Cavanaugh, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet’s Submarine Force, said in the release.
As part of its build-up for Submarine Rotational Force-West, the Navy on May 30 also established Naval Support Activity Stirling at HMAS Stirling.
NSA Stirling will provide administrative, public affairs, morale, welfare and recreation, and pass-and-identification services for U.S. personnel assigned to the mission, Navy Region Japan spokesman Cmdr. Joe Keiley said June 9.
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility will stand up a maintenance and logistics detachment in Western Australia this summer, according to Thursday’s release.
The detachment will oversee and perform intermediate-level maintenance on U.S. submarines assigned to Submarine Rotational Force-West and continue to train the Australian workforce.
About 20 civilians and 25 Australian sailors have already completed training in Hawaii, the release said. Another 230 Australians are in the still in training.
