Australia said on Sunday the United States will be able to use a new nuclear-submarine maintenance facility at the Henderson shipyard near Perth as part of the trilateral AUKUS defence partnership, and pledged A$12 billion to upgrade the site over the next two decades.
Defence Minister Richard Marles described the Henderson precinct as the future maintenance hub for Australia’s planned fleet of nuclear-powered submarines and said the facility — being expanded through a 20-year program — would likely host rotations of U.S. and U.K. vessels even before Australia takes delivery of Virginia-class submarines.
The government said the A$12 billion program will modernise dry docks and support infrastructure and is expected to create roughly 10,000 local jobs while also accommodating construction of landing craft and general-purpose frigates. Canberra has already invested an initial A$127 million as part of earlier upgrades.
The move underscores Canberra’s long-term commitment to AUKUS — the 2021 pact with the U.S. and U.K. to deepen defence cooperation in the Indo-Pacific — even as aspects of the deal have faced scrutiny and review abroad. Australian officials say the upgrades are intended to ensure the sustainment and interoperability of allied submarine operations in the region.
U.S. and British use of the Henderson facilities would mark a notable expansion of practical co-operation under AUKUS, giving allies closer basing and maintenance options in the Indo-Pacific at a time of rising strategic competition. Australian leaders framed the investment as both a jobs-boosting infrastructure project and a contribution to allied deterrence.
