Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Kaitlyn Eads | FREMANTLE, Western Australia (March 13, 2024) – U.S. Navy sailors assigned to the...... read more read more
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ROCKINGHAM, Australia--Sailors from USS Annapolis (SSN 760) and the Royal Navy participated in community relations events as part of the first Australia, United Kingdom, United States (AUKUS)-related port visit to HMAS Stirling in Western Australia (WA) in 2024.
Coinciding on the first anniversary of the AUKUS Optimal Pathway announcement for delivering a sovereign conventionally armed, nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) capability to Australia, uniformed personnel from the U.S. and UK met with students at the South Metro Technical and Further Education (TAFE) campus.
“To be able to come in and be able to talk to them and share our experiences from both American and British perspectives and encourage them that this is a really great opportunity for them is absolutely brilliant,” said Royal Navy Lt. Amelia Rouault, submarine engineering officer currently assigned to Submarine Rotational Force – West.
“Going to South Metro TAFE was great,” said Command Master Chief Jason Hays, chief of boat of Annapolis. “The students had a lot of questions about life aboard a nuclear-powered attack submarine and what it takes to maintain them and keep’em in the fight.”
Later in the day, members of Annapolis took part in a flag football game with the Rockingham Vipers, at Careeba Park in Rockingham, WA.
“Thankfully we held the scrimmage later in the afternoon because it is a hot day here in Western Australia,” said Hays. “We had a lot of fun playing against some really good players from the Vipers. Great time, great comradery – we all had a blast.”
“Our port visit occurring the same week as the one-year anniversary and the trip to the TAFE school and to the Paul Garnett Field highlight what is all about,” said Cmdr. James Tuthill, commanding officer of the Annapolis. “It’s about building a SSN capability here in WA and continuing the close partnership and relationships our countries have built for over a century on the battlefield and across the Indo-Pacific.”
Annapolis’ visit marks the first of two planned U.S. SSN port calls to WA. In the second half of 2024, a submarine tender out of Guam and a U.S. SSN will take part in an historic submarine tendered maintenance period that will, for the first time, see Royal Australian Navy personnel executing maintenance on a submarine at HMAS Stirling. Port visits like Annapolis’ provide the Royal Australian Navy an opportunity to gain first-hand experience with SSNs.
“Having our American and UK partners visit the TAFE, and join us on the pitch serves to build even tighter bonds between our navies and our peoples,” said Rear Adm. Matt Buckley, Head of Nuclear Submarine Capability at the Australian Submarine Agency. “Opportunities like these are critical to Australia’s ability grow our sovereign capabilities and learn from the two preeminent SSN operators in the world.”
For more news from Commander, Submarine Group 7, visit www.csp.navy.mil/csg7/
| Date Taken: | 03.13.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 03.14.2024 22:40 |
| Story ID: | 466147 |
| Location: | WA, AU |
| Web Views: | 234 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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