The U.S. Navy has started early work to establish a new naval support activity (NSA) in Perth, Western Australia, as of May 30 as part of the AUKUS trilateral partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The Navy said NSA Stirling is due to provide support services and programs for service members, civilian personnel, contractors, and families assigned to the future Submarine Rotational Force – West (SRF-West). HMAS Stirling is a naval base in Western Australia.
“Establishment of NSA Stirling with our AUKUS partners demonstrates our command mission to support the Fleet, warfighter, and family,” Vice Adm. Scott Gray, Commander of the U.S. Navy Installations Command, said in a June 8 Navy press release. “By providing essential services to U.S. personnel and their families, NSA Stirling will enhance rotational submarine force readiness.”
This announcement comes after the May 30 joint statement released by the defense heads of all three countries. The statement called for an approach to “streamline Australia’s acquisition of Virginia-class submarines” by acquiring three in-service boats rather than the previously planned two used and one new submarine.
SRF-West will have a rotational presence of up to four U.S. Virginia-class submarines.
Under the AUKUS agreement with the U.S. and United Kingdom, Australia plans to deliver its first domestically produced nuclear-powered attack submarine, SSN-AUKUS, in the early 2040s, following the UK delivering its own boat of the same design in the late 2030s.