United States Navy Submarine Tender USS Emory S. Land arrived at HMAS Stirling in Rockingham, Western Australia. Photo: LSIS Rikki-Lea Phillips
USS Emory S. Land arrived at HMAS Stirling in Rockingham on 16 August to execute several maintenance training activities with the Royal Australian Navy and to support the upcoming Submarine Tendered Maintenance Period (STMP). “The Emory S. Land will execute several maintenance training activities with the Royal Australian Navy and support the upcoming Submarine Tendered Maintenance Period, which will mark the first time Australians have participated in a US nuclear-powered submarine maintenance period in Australia.” Since January 2024, more than 30 Australian personnel have been aboard the Emory S. Land and have been participating in a knowledge exchange period and maintenance training.
The STMP marks a significant step towards Australia becoming sovereign-ready to operate, maintain, and support a fleet of conventionally armed SSNs, which is a central requirement in executing Pillar 1 of the AUKUS security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. “Our knowledge exchange with the Royal Australian Navy Fleet Support Unit (FSU) since January has been exceptionally productive,” said Captain Brent Spillner, commanding officer of the Emory S. Land. “Within weeks they were working shoulder to shoulder with US technicians on real submarine repairs, and for the last six weeks, we’ve had a team of US sailors embedded in the FSU West workshops at HMAS Stirling. “We’re learning as much from them as they are from us, and we have Australian sailors and officers in the key management positions for the STMP.”
More than 30 Australian sailors will execute the majority of planned maintenance work under the supervision of US personnel, which will include the replacement of a mast in the submarine’s sail and a key hydraulic valve, along with the simulated removal of a large pump weighing more than 3,500 pounds from within the boat. “Both of our navies are benefiting tremendously from the interoperability we’ve been developing during this deployment and are now better able to support each other’s fleets around the world. This STMP marks the first time that Australian workers will perform maintenance on an American SSN in Australian waters, but it’s really just the next step in a long partnership,” CAPT Spillner said.
“This is an important milestone and learning opportunity as we work together to establish Submarine Rotational Force – West, where both US and UK submarines will regularly transit through HMAS Stirling, with maintenance and logistics assisted by Australian personnel, as they develop their own intermediate-level maintenance capability for the eventual Australian SSNs.” The deployment has been an opportunity for sailors from the three navies to work together. “The opportunity to have RAN sailors from FSU integrated with my repair department has been phenomenal,” said Commander Derek Fletcher, repair officer aboard the Emory S. Land. “The ability to work side by side in Guam on US SSNs and then continue that side-by-side work on RAN vessels and even a Royal Navy vessel while in Australia has truly demonstrated our interoperability. It’s been incredible to see our sailors working together to provide repair services to vessels from all three AUKUS partners.”