USS Emory S. Land, a U.S. Navy submarine tender with a mixed crew of American and Australian sailors, docked at the HMAS Stirling naval base south of Perth on Friday for a training exercise to support the host country’s nuclear submarine development program.
The joint activity, called a Submarine Tendered Maintenance Period, is one of the milestone activities under Pillar 1 of the AUKUS program of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Capt. Brent Spillner, commanding officer of the Emory S. Land, said the ship’s U.S. crew has been exchanging know-how on U.S. Navy nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine maintenance with the Royal Australian Navy’s Fleet Support Unit sailors aboard the submarine tender since January.
“This is an important milestone and learning opportunity as we work together to establish Submarine Rotational Force–West, where both U.S. and UK submarines will regularly transit through HMAS Stirling, with maintenance and logistics assisted by Australian personnel, as they develop their own intermediate-level maintenance capability for the eventual Australian SSNs,” Spillner said.
The Australian Submarine Agency said the USS Emory S. Land’s Australian mission follows up on previous visits of U.S. nuclear submarines, including the USS Annapolis in March 2024 and the USS North Carolina in August 2023.
The Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 GovCon International Summit on Oct. 10 will gather key public and private sector leaders to discuss how international partnerships and emerging technologies are reshaping the defense industry’s landscape. Click here to register and learn more about the event and stay up-to-date on speaker confirmation.