USS Colorado has arrived at HMAS Stirling for a monthlong maintenance period that will see more than 30 Australian civilian technicians work alongside U.S. and Royal Navy personnel, according to Defence Industry Europe’s report. The maintenance period is the first in Western Australia during which Australian civilian technicians will perform routine work on a Virginia-class submarine.
The activity is intended to validate the workforce and infrastructure needed to support Submarine Rotational Force-West, or SRF-West. Australian technicians trained in Hawaii will work with specialists from Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, while the visit uses upgrades to Diamantina Pier and locally developed equipment including a pure water plant, high-pressure air compressor and dehumidifier, Defence Industry Europe reports.
The U.S., Australia and the United Kingdom announced on October 26 that Colorado would be the first U.S. Virginia-class fast-attack submarine assigned to SRF-West, Naval News reported. The force is planned to begin in late 2027 and is projected to host up to four U.S. fast-attack submarines and one British submarine on a rotational basis at HMAS Stirling.
The documented schedule distinguishes the current maintenance and readiness activity from the later planned rotation. Neither fetched report gives a purchase price, contract value or new submarine quantity being bought. The current visit demonstrates maintenance capability and preparation; it does not establish that SRF-West has begun operational rotations.