PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - To support Submarine Rotational Force-West (SRF-West), Rear Adm. Chris Cavanaugh, Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, reestablished Submarine Squadron 3 (CSS-3), which previously operated out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and was decommissioned in February 2012. The new CSS-3 will operate from HMAS Stirling in Western Australia.
This move follows the trilateral Joint Statement on May 30, confirming key milestones continue to be met for SRF-West in support of the Australia, United Kingdom, United States (AUKUS) trilateral security partnership.
CSS-3's personnel will integrate with their Royal Australian Navy counterparts to lay the groundwork for maintenance, logistics, and operational support for all rotational U.S. and U.K. submarines at HMAS Stirling.
CSS-3’s reactivation is a critical step toward establishing SRF-West, a key AUKUS Pillar I milestone. Through SRF-West, U.S. and U.K. nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines (SSNs) will conduct rotations from the Royal Australian Navy base HMAS Stirling starting in 2027.
Cavanaugh emphasized that the reactivated squadron enhances operations in the theater. “Adding an additional forward-positioned submarine squadron in the Indo-Pacific enhances our presence, agility, and responsiveness across a range of operations,” said Cavanaugh. “CSS-3 enables our submarines and crews to respond rapidly in support of the U.S. joint force mission of regional deterrence.”
CSS-3’s reestablishment follows Navy Region Japan’s stand up of Naval Support Activity (NSA) Stirling which will provide support services and programs for U.S. service members, civilian personnel, contractors, and their families assigned to SRF-West.
“Establishing NSA Stirling and reestablishing CSS-3 lays the foundation for SRF-West and, ultimately, Australia’s sovereign conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine fleet,” said Director of Submarine Programs Vice Adm. Rob Gaucher. “With SRF-West, we have submarines rotating through a critical region with an organic, predominately Australian, maintenance workforce keeping those boats fit to fight. That not only supports readiness, but it also reduces the burden on the U.S. shipyards and increases our fast-attack submarine force’s readiness while preparing Australia to maintain their own SSNs.”
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) will also stand up a maintenance and logistics detachment in Western Australia in mid-2026. This detachment will oversee and execute intermediate-level maintenance on U.S. submarines assigned to SRF-West and will continue to train the Australian workforce.
“To date, approximately 20 Australian civilian maintainers and 25 Royal Australian Navy divers and Fleet Support Unit officers and sailors have completed their training at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, and we have more than 230 others currently under instruction in Hawaii,” said Rear Adm. Scott Brown, deputy Program Acquisition Executive, Industrial Operations for Public Shipyards. “The Pearl Harbor team is working to build Australia’s sovereign SSN maintenance capability that will keep our submarines ready for tasking in Western Australia. Right now, Australian maintainers are learning by doing aboard in-service SSNs which provides additional work hours to the shipyard and helps us get boats back to the fleet on time.”
The Department of War’s Joint Statement, AUKUS Defense Ministers' Meeting can be found here:https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4504769/joint-statement-aukus-defense-ministers-meeting/
The NSA Stirling press release can be found here: https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/display-news/Article/4510955/us-navy-establishes-nsa-stirling-in-australia/
The U.S. Pacific Fleet Submarine Force provides strategic deterrence, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, precision land strike, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and early warning, and special warfare capabilities around the globe.