Port Visits to Australia by Nuclear-Powered Vessels: A Historical Context

The announcement in September 2021 that Australia would acquire nuclear-powered submarines (NPS) signalled a significant shift in Australia’s defence posture. As part of the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) announcement of the optimal pathway in March 2023, the three Governments committed to an increase in visits of nuclear powered vessels to Australian ports by the United Kingdom (UK) and the UnitedStates (US). This increase in visits is a precursor to US and UK submarines beginning a rotational presence at HMAS Stirling – through an initiative called “Submarine Rotational Force – West” (SRF-West). It is important to note that this increase in nuclear-powered vessel visits is not without precedent. A review of the historical record shows that sustained increases in the number of nuclear-powered vessel visits to Australian ports has already occurred twice in recent history.

Dr John Nash 

Dr John Nash

Dr John Nash