Australian, US subs move out as Chinese flotilla nears WA

As the Chinese naval flotilla moved westwards along Australia’s southern coast, US and Australian submarines have been spotted on the move.

US Navy personnel aboard the Virginia-class fast attack submarine USS Minnesota after the vessel docked at HMAS Stirling last week for a port visit. Picture: Colin Murty/pool/Getty Images

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US and Australian submarines and an air warfare destroyer have been spotted leaving the HMAS Stirling naval base south of Perth as Chinese warships near Australia’s west coast.

As a flotilla of three Chinese naval vessels continued to move westward along Australia’s southern coast, images posted to social media on Monday appeared to show the US and Australian submarines that had been moored at HMAS Stirling on the move.

The USS Minnesota nuclear-powered submarine was photographed sailing out to sea while one of Australia’s Collins-class submarines could be seen moving past Rottnest Island in what appeared to be a conspicuous show of force.

The air warfare destroyer HMAS Hobart was also photographed sailing out of HMAS Stirling.

The sightings of the boats came as WA Premier Roger Cook said the movements of the Chinese warships emphasised the “geopolitical fluidity” of the world today and reinforced the need for a larger naval presence on the west coast.

“We’ve always said that we wanted more grey ships on the west coast, particularly the northwest. That’s been a comment that I and my predecessors have made time and again,” Mr Cook said.

“Western Australia is the home to some of our most important and strategic industries, so I was delighted, when the Defence Strategic Review was undertaken, that they identified the need to continue to bolster our defence capabilities and infrastructure in the west and in particular the northwest.”

HMAS Hobart during the opening ceremony of the 5th Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo 2025 in Denpasar in February. Picture: AFP

Mr Cook said he was also pleased that the Australian Defence Force was building the air force capability in the north west, centred out of the Learmonth near Exmouth.

“It’s about matching our defence capabilities with the perceived and predicted potential threats,” Mr Cook said.

“And that’s why you’ve seen the federal government move so significantly, providing what I believe is very strong leadership, not leadership without criticism, by the way, in terms of the current defence pivot to maritime and air force, but a very important pivot because, as we know, we live in geopolitically fluid times.”

Australian Collins Class submarines, HMAS Collins, HMAS Farncomb, HMAS Dechaineux and HMAS Sheean in formation while transiting through Cockburn Sound, Western Australia, previously. Picture: ADF

The Minnesota arrived at HMAS Stirling last Wednesday in what was the first of two planned US nuclear submarine visits to Perth this year under the AUKUS agreement.

Announcing the visit last week, the US Navy said the Minnesota was scheduled to carry out at-sea operations as part of a training program for naval officers preparing to take command of a submarine.

The captain of USS Minnesota, Jeffrey Cornielle, said last week that the visit was another step towards Australia establishing its own nuclear-powered submarine force.

“Those of us who serve aboard these highly capable warships understand the power they bring to the fight,“ he said.

HMAS Hobart returned to Australia four days ago after a six-week deployment to the Indo-Pacific region, where it carried out exercises alongside vessels from Indonesia, France, Japan, the Philippines and the United States.

The Chinese flotilla was in waters between Albany and Esperance as of Monday morning.