![Twenty-eight ASC [formerly known as the Australian Submarine Corporation] personnel pose for a photo at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF), Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaiʻi, July 16, 2024.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/dec02b4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3584x2470+0+0/resize/840x578!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F87%2Fbf%2F649d8f884a26b8afee3f9922b51a%2F8532587.jpg)
It's been a week of developments for an international military partnership that includes a crucial role for Hawaiʻi.
The trilateral alliance between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (AUKUS) focuses on submarines.
More than two dozen Australian personnel have begun intensive training in submarine maintenance at Pearl Harbor.
“After months of preparation, we are excited to welcome the Australian maintainers into our shipyard family. The intensive training process they will undergo over the next few years will lay the groundwork for them to ultimately lead and execute their own maintenance operations,” said Capt. Ryan McCrillis, commanding officer of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.
It will eventually result in Australia acquiring nuclear-powered submarines to enhance its security presence in the Asia Pacific.
As Australia increases its submarine capability, Hawaiʻi will play an increasing role in the process.
On Thursday, the U.S. Navy announced that more than a hundred Australian personnel will be training at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard over the next year.
“We are ushering in a new era for our submarine maintenance workforce,” said Rear Adm. Matt Buckley, head of Nuclear Submarine Capability within the Australian Submarine Agency.
Earlier this week, the Australian deputy prime minister and the U.K.'s new defense minister toured a steel plant in the U.K. that will supply material for future submarines.
The new government in the U.K. has reaffirmed the country's commitment to the importance of the AUKUS program.
