Australians wrestle with plans for second nuclear submarine base Down Under

Australia is debating where to build a second submarine base on the country’s eastern coast as part of the AUKUS security partnership with the U.K. and U.S. The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Colorado arrives at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia on Oct. 27, 2026. (Trice Denny/U.S. Navy) Australians are debating where to build a second submarine base on the country’s eastern coast as they prepare for the launch of a multinational submarine force in Western Australia next year. Labor unions in New South Wales recently voiced opposition to a potential nuclear submarine base in Newcastle, 100 miles north of Sydney, as part of AUKUS, a security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The workers oppose a base at the port, saying it may discourage investment in renewable energy in the area, The Australian newspaper reported Monday. The debate over an east coast base is taking place during a visit by the USS Colorado to HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, where the U.S. Navy recently established a naval support activity in preparation for next year’s launch of Submarine Rotational Force-West. The Hawaii-based fast-attack submarine will be the first boat assigned to a new force of up to five submarines — four American and one British. Supporters of a second AUKUS base say it would support submarine operations