USS Colorado named first submarine for AUKUS force in Australia

The United States, Australia and the United Kingdom have designated USS Colorado as the first U.S. submarine assigned to the planned Submarine Rotational Force-West in Australia, with the assignment scheduled to begin in late 2027. The announcement was made by U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, and British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting. Colorado is a U.S. Navy Virginia-class fast-attack submarine. Its designation establishes the first named U.S. submarine for the rotational force, but the submarine has not yet begun service in Australia. The planned force will operate at HMAS Stirling, a Royal Australian Navy base in Western Australia. The partners project that the site will host up to four U.S. fast-attack submarines and one U.K. fast-attack submarine on a rotational basis. The submarines are not described as permanently based there. The governments say SRF-West is intended to expand regional maintenance and sustainment options for AUKUS partners and support submarine deployments. They also say the arrangement will help Australia prepare to own, operate, maintain and regulate a sovereign submarine...