Rockingham, Australia - February 25, 2025 ROCKINGHAM — The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Minnesota (SSN 783) powered into HMAS Stirling on Feb. 25, 2025, marking the moment a USA submarine arrived in Australia to launch the first of two planned U.S. fast-attack submarine visits to the base this year. This striking arrival signals a major leap in the Australia, United Kingdom, United States trilateral security agreement, known as AUKUS. These port visits fuel the pact’s first pillar, a daring push to deliver Australia a sovereign, conventionally armed, nuclear-powered attack submarine capability. With its hull now resting in Western Australian waters, the USS Minnesota underscores a deepening alliance, setting the stage for a transformed defense posture in the region.