The Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) has hosted personnel from Australia and the United Kingdom in support of the Australia, United Kingdom, and United States (AUKUS) security partnership’s Pillar One.

The uniformed and civilian submarine maintenance subject matter experts from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States comprise the Advance Verification Team (AVT) that, and over the coming weeks, will work directly with shipyard personnel to gain a full understanding of the maintenance and industrial skills required to establish Submarine Rotational Force-West (SRF-W) in Australia as early as 2027.

It is expected that at its height, SRF-W will host up to four Virginia Class and one Royal Navy Astute Class SSN.

Initially, a combined Australian and US team will execute maintenance on the US flagged SSNs. Over time, as Australia grows its workforce and expertise, the US will reduce its presence in Australia.

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