Overview
- Australia is coordinating, supporting and delivering a significant Submarine Maintenance Period on the U.S. Virginia-class attack submarine USS Vermont, according to a Defence Media statement.
- This maintenance package is larger and more complex than last year’s effort and is designed to mirror the work needed once SRF–West begins operations in Western Australia.
- Thirteen Royal Australian Navy submariners who completed U.S. training are embedded in Vermont’s crew as part of operational knowledge transfer.
- ASC will provide pier services and other support, with 19 ASC International Military Students and two personnel from Raytheon and Thales returning from training at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard & IMF, alongside 22 RAN Fleet Support Unit members and eight RAN clearance divers.
- The effort follows the 2024 tendered maintenance of USS Hawaii and is cited by officials as progress toward Australia owning and operating a sovereign Virginia-class submarine capability in the early 2030s.