Latest news with #JeffreyCorneille
Reuters
10-04-2025
- General
- Reuters
Aboard a nuclear-powered submarine, 'everything changes on a dime'
April 10 (Reuters) - "The role of the fast attack submarine is so dynamic that everything changes on a dime," U.S. Navy Commander Jeffrey Corneille said off the coast of Western Australia on the nuclear-powered submarine USS Minnesota in March. "As soon as my boss says go, we go," said Corneille, the ship's commander. A 2018 letter from the U.S. secretary of defence hangs on a wall in the Minnesota, expressing gratitude for its anti-submarine warfare and intelligence gathering in Europe. Giving pause for thought to an adversary is "not just important for the United States, it's important for all of our partners to work together to get to that", Corneille said. The submarine recently moved its home port from Hawaii to Guam, the first forward deployment of a Virginia-class submarine. "In time of conflict, that is where we replenish, repair and rearm," said Captain Neil Steinhagen, Commander of Guam's Submarine Squadron 15, which includes four Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack subs alongside the Minnesota. A port call at HMAS Stirling is preparation for hundreds of U.S. Navy personnel arriving in 2027, and Australians joining the crew of U.S.-commanded Virginia submarines. The Virginia's "34-year gas tank" gives it the speed to run down its adversary, said Steinhagen, describing the difference between nuclear propulsion and Australia's ageing diesel-electric submarine fleet, which lurk and listen in Indo Pacific chokepoints.
Arab News
16-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
US starts to build submarine presence on strategic Australian coast under AUKUS
PERTH: In the control room of the American Virginia class attack submarine USS Minnesota, off the Western Australian coast, sonar operators adjust to the chatter of dolphins in new waters where the US submarine presence will soon grow a training exercise from its home port in Guam, USS Minnesota is a forerunner to four Virginia class submarines that will be hosted at a Western Australian naval base from 2027, under the AUKUS partnership to transfer nuclear submarine capability to use video game joysticks to interrogate screen images from a photonic mast that has replaced a periscope. Life aboard can mean up to 100 days without seeing sunlight, and intermittent communication with families via email to maintain officer Jeffrey Corneille says the Virginia class submarine is 'the most advanced warship in the world.''If someone wakes up and they say 'Is today the day?', we make sure that they say 'Maybe not',' he says, describing its deterrent 50-80 United States navy personnel will arrive by the middle of the year at Western Australia's HMAS Stirling base, which is undergoing an A$8 billion ($5 billion) upgrade to prepare for the 'Submarine Rotational Force West,' Australian officials have two years, those numbers will swell to hundreds of US navy personnel and support location of HMAS Stirling, closer to Asia and the Indian Ocean than the US Pacific fleet headquarters in Hawaii, is strategically important to the United States, said Peter Dean, director of Foreign Policy and Defense at the United States Studies Center at the University of Sydney.'Defending the Indian Ocean against rising Chinese capabilities and power is important,' he Virginia submarine program has been exempted from Pentagon budget cuts as the Trump administration focuses less on the Middle East and Europe, and more on the Indo Pacific, he Trump administration's number three Pentagon official, Elbridge Colby, told a US Senate confirmation hearing this month the attack submarines are 'absolutely essential' for making the defense of Taiwan viable, and production rates must be lifted to first meet US needs and also to fulfill its obligations to sell submarines to Australia under the AUKUS USS Minnesota moved its home port from Hawaii to the US Pacific territory of Guam, closer to Taiwan and the only forward-deployed US submarine base, in November.A Chinese navy task group that circumnavigated Australia in February and March, holding unprecedented live fire drills off the east coast that disrupted commercial airlines, before passing Western Australia to coincide with the USS Minnesota's port call and heading into the Indian Ocean, has highlighted China's ambition to operate more frequently in Australia's neighborhood, Australian officials AUKUS, Australia's most expensive defense project, Australia will buy two used Virginia class submarines next decade, and build a new class of nuclear powered submarine with Britain, to replace its aging diesel powered preparation, there are 115 Australians in the US nuclear navy training pipeline or on Virginia submarines, plus 130 training for nuclear submarine maintenance at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, US navy officials said.
Reuters
16-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
US starts to build submarine presence on strategic Australian coast under AUKUS
PERTH, March 16 (Reuters) - In the control room of the American Virginia class attack submarine USS Minnesota, off the Western Australian coast, sonar operators adjust to the chatter of dolphins in new waters where the U.S. submarine presence will soon grow significantly. On a training exercise from its home port in Guam, USS Minnesota is a forerunner to four Virginia class submarines that will be hosted at a Western Australian naval base from 2027, under the AUKUS partnership to transfer nuclear submarine capability to Australia. here. Crew use video game joysticks to interrogate screen images from a photonic mast that has replaced a periscope. Life aboard can mean up to 100 days without seeing sunlight, and intermittent communication with families via email to maintain stealth. Commanding officer Jeffrey Corneille says the Virginia class submarine is "the most advanced warship in the world". "If someone wakes up and they say 'Is today the day?', we make sure that they say 'Maybe not'," he says, describing its deterrent role. Around 50-80 United States navy personnel will arrive by the middle of the year at Western Australia's HMAS Stirling base, which is undergoing an A$8 billion ($5 billion) upgrade to prepare for the "Submarine Rotational Force West", Australian officials have said. In two years, those numbers will swell to hundreds of U.S. navy personnel and support crew. The location of HMAS Stirling, closer to Asia and the Indian Ocean than the U.S. Pacific fleet headquarters in Hawaii, is strategically important to the United States, said Peter Dean, director of Foreign Policy and Defence at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. "Defending the Indian Ocean against rising Chinese capabilities and power is important," he said. The Virginia submarine program has been exempted from Pentagon budget cuts as the Trump administration focuses less on the Middle East and Europe, and more on the Indo Pacific, he said. The Trump administration's number three Pentagon official, Elbridge Colby, told a U.S. Senate confirmation hearing this month the attack submarines are "absolutely essential" for making the defence of Taiwan viable, and production rates must be lifted to first meet U.S. needs and also to fulfill its obligations to sell submarines to Australia under the AUKUS pact. The USS Minnesota moved its home port from Hawaii to the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, closer to Taiwan and the only forward-deployed U.S. submarine base, in November. A Chinese navy task group that circumnavigated Australia in February and March, holding unprecedented live fire drills off the east coast that disrupted commercial airlines, before passing Western Australia to coincide with the USS Minnesota's port call and heading into the Indian Ocean, has highlighted China's ambition to operate more frequently in Australia's neighbourhood, Australian officials said. Under AUKUS, Australia's most expensive defence project, Australia will buy two used Virginia class submarines next decade, and build a new class of nuclear powered submarine with Britain, to replace its ageing diesel powered fleet. In preparation, there are 115 Australians in the U.S. nuclear navy training pipeline or on Virginia submarines, plus 130 training for nuclear submarine maintenance at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, U.S. navy officials said.
