G’day — Guam to welcome Aussie sailors to train

The Singapore Air Force’s Fighter Training Detachment at Andersen Air Force Base won’t be the only foreign group training on the island from next year.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with Richard Marles, Australia’s Minister of Defense (who is also Deputy Prime Minister), at the Defense Innovation Unit Headquarters in California on Dec. 1 as part of the AUKUS Defense Ministers Meeting, which the U.K.’s Secretary of Defence also attended, according to a Dec. 1 release from the U.S. DoD.

As part of “an enhanced defense and security partnership” between the three countries, and “increased Royal Australian Navy education and training … Australian sailors will commence duty in Guam in early 2024 … .” The training is ahead of the establishment of Submarine Rotational Force-West in Australia “as early as 2027” and will offer the Australians training on nuclear powered submarines on-island.

The USS Asheville is shown at Naval Base Guam on Dec. 2, 2022. Photo by Lt. Eric Uhden, Submarine Squadron 15

Guam’s Submarine Squadron 15 has four Los Angeles class nuclear-powered fast attack submarines — the USS Springfield, the USS Ashville, the USS Jefferson City, and the USS Annapolis. A fifth submarine, the USS Key West left Guam in January, headed for the U.S. mainland and de-commissioning.

The island also has two submarine tenders - the USS Frank Cable and the USS Emory Land.

Australia has defense ties to the U.S. that include participation in various training exercises in Guam and a U.S. Marine rotational force at the Royal Australian Air Force Base in Darwin in the Northern Territory. mbj

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G’day — Guam to welcome Aussie sailors to train