Strategic NewsPentagon picks USS Colorado as first nuclear-powered submarine for joint Australia base - Washington Times
Pentagon picks USS Colorado as first nuclear-powered submarine for joint Australia base - Washington Times
U.S. Navy photo 80-G-59525 / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
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Pentagon picks USS Colorado as first nuclear-powered submarine for joint Australia base - Washington Times

GNews: nuclear submarine·2026-10-26AllianceP6: Defence SurgeP7: Alliance Architecture
Why it matters

The Pentagon has named USS Colorado as the first US nuclear-powered attack submarine to be based with Australian forces, giving concrete form to Submarine Rotational Force-West at HMAS Stirling. It accelerates Australian crew training, maintenance and infrastructure readiness ahead of the planned Virginia-class purchase, and embeds a persistent US undersea presence on Australia's west coast. It also deepens Australia's operational and political entanglement with US force posture in the Indian Ocean and beyond.

Read the original report at GNews: nuclear submarine

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Where this sits in the model

This development bears on 2 of the eight pillars of Australian preparedness — the overall picture right now is 5/100.

P6: Defence Surge0/100P7: Alliance Architecture25/100
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