‘Don’t be stinky’: recruitment a ‘huge issue’ facing Aukus submarine program - The Guardian

The USS Colorado's arrival at HMAS Stirling, and its designation as the first US boat assigned to the AUKUS rotational presence, converts Submarine Rotational Force-West from plan into physical reality ahead of the scheduled 2027 start. It brings forward the practical tests of the arrangement — nuclear stewardship, maintenance infrastructure at Henderson, and the sovereign workforce needed to sustain the boats — with recruitment shortfalls already flagged as a binding constraint. Australia's deterrence value from AUKUS will hinge less on hull numbers than on whether these support foundations mature on schedule.