WSJ: Pentagon Prepares New Military Base In Australia
- 8.02.2026, 21:24
In case of war with China.
The Pentagon plans to deploy U.S. nuclear submarines to Australia's HMAS Stirling naval base in Western Australia, a key element of its strategy to deter China in the region. The first U.S. submarines are due to arrive at the base as early as 2027. In total, Washington plans to deploy up to four submarines there in the coming years. Australia is investing billions of dollars to expand the base and build a maintenance facility nearby, according to The Wall Street Journal.
For the U.S., the decision provides a critical advantage in a potential conflict with China. America now bases its submarines on the island of Guam, but China could launch a missile strike on the territory at the start of a conflict.
Western Australia is relatively close to the regional tension points of the South China Sea and Taiwan. However, it is far enough away to be out of the "first line" danger zone. Conducting submarine maintenance in Western Australia also provides the U.S. with an additional opportunity for repairs in a strategic location. Right now, most maintenance is done in Guam, Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, or the continental U.S., and U.S. shipyards can barely handle the workload.
"If you're in some kind of conflict and your ships get damaged, you want to get back into the fight quickly. So having that geography to reinforce what you have in Guam, to reinforce what you have in Pearl Harbor ... it will allow the U.S. Navy to get back to business faster," said Rear Adm. Lincoln Reifsteck.
The Australian government is investing about $5.6 billion in the Stirling base for facilities such as:
training center;
staff housing;
submarine pier improvements;
radioactive waste handling facility;
electricity.
On the mainland, Australia has so far allocated $8.4 billion for a shipbuilding and maintenance complex in a suburb called Henderson. It is expected to include dry docks, which are needed for major repairs and the most extensive level of maintenance.
Australia's facilities "should be larger than Guam because there will be a permanent shore-based repair facility with dry docks," said Brian Clark, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a former submariner. "In theory, the Navy could introduce an overhaul package in Australia and reduce the amount of work required when a submarine comes home."
Since Australia does not allow foreign bases on its soil, officials have publicly characterized future U.S. deployments as rotational - but training indicates that U.S. submarines could stay at Stirling long enough. Australian officials expect about 1,200 personnel to move to the region from the United States and Britain, which will also be "resident" at Stirling with its own submarine.
The plans are a challenge for a country that has no experience operating its own nuclear submarines. Getting dry docks into service by the time they are needed will also be a challenge, some analysts say. Australian officials have signaled that an "emergency" dry-docking capability - such as a floating dock that can handle large unexpected repairs, though not the most extensive level of maintenance - should be ready by the early 2030s.
The plans face other hurdles, including the expected need for another $9 billion to complete the maintenance complex and shipbuilding facility at Henderson. Attracting workers is also likely to be costly.
Some local residents are concerned about radioactive waste, and more military personnel could put pressure on the real estate market. There is also concern that the presence of U.S. submarines nearby could make the area a target for a potential strike.
Future deployments at Stirling are part of the so-called AUKUS agreement between the United States, Britain and Australia. Under the pact, Australia is to start receiving its own Virginia-class nuclear submarines from the US from the early 2030s. Australia's current fleet consists of diesel-electric submarines. However, U.S. shipbuilding is lagging behind, and doubts remain about whether the U.S. can sell Australia these submarines.
"Is it in Australia's interest to have a U.S. submarine base at Stirling and not have its own submarines? I don't think it's in our interest," said Malcolm Turnbull, Australia's former prime minister for the center-right Liberal Party. "I believe in Australian sovereignty, and I think the Aukus agreement was a colossal sacrifice of Australian sovereignty."
Supporters say having U.S. submarines at Stirling would create jobs and offer the advantages of nuclear-powered submarines - which have greater speed and endurance than other submarines - while Australia waits to get its own.
American submarines could help Australia, which depends on maritime trade, patrol important bottlenecks in the north. Stirling would also be a good center from which U.S. submarines could block important shipping lanes, cutting off Chinese trade in the event of a conflict.
Although China could still reach the base with missiles, it would be harder to hit it because Stirling is farther away than U.S. bases elsewhere.