US Rear Admiral Richard Seif raises closer submarine ties under nuclear deal

The Rear Admiral in charge of US subs in Asia and the Pacific says America is willing to substantially expand its ties with its Australia.

The giant Virginia-class USS Mississippi nuclear submarine arrives at HMAS Stirling naval base in Western Australia.

The man in charge of the US Navy’s submarines in Asia and the Pacific says America is willing and able to substantially expand its ties with its Australian submarine counterparts as the country prepares to enter the world of ­nuclear-powered subs.

Rear Admiral Richard Seif said the US Navy was prepared to consider significantly lifting the number of Australian sailors aboard its boats and was open to stationing Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines in Australian waters, leaving the door wide open for Australia to pursue far deeper connections with the US Navy under the AUKUS deal.

The Australian on Wednesday was granted rare access to the USS Mississippi, one of the US Navy’s Virginia-class submarines, as part of its visit to Perth.

The vessel – arguably the most technically complex boat ever built – was described by Admiral Seif as the “apex predator” of the region thanks to its incredible combination of range, stealth and firepower.

The timing of the USS Mississippi’s visit to Perth comes just months out from the release of Australia’s Defence Strategic ­Review in March, which will set a path prioritising investment in the nation’s military capability.

The Virginia-class submarines like the USS Mississippi are the hot favourite to ultimately be selected as the design for Australia’s new nuclear submarines under the AUKUS agreement.

Admiral Seif said AUKUS promised to build on the existing strong ties between the Australian and US submarine forces.

“US submarines have been coming here to Perth, and Australian submarines have been coming to Hawaii and our US ports, for decades,” he said.

“We‘ve been working very closely with each other literally for decades, riding each other’s submarines, visiting each other’s ports and working together, exercising together, and being interchangeable as an undersea com­bat force.

“I would just think of AUKUS as a natural extension of that relationship we already have and a logical next step in the sequence.”

Moored alongside two of Australia’s diesel-powered Collins-class submarines at HMAS Stirling naval base on Garden Island off the coast of Perth, the most striking difference between the USS Mississippi and the existing Australian boats is the size.

At almost 115m long and weighing 7800 tonnes, she is twice the weight and about half as long again as the Collins boats.

But the most important difference is the USS Mississippi’s ­nuclear propulsion system. That gives the boat an effectively unlimited range: the only limitation on how long it can spend at sea is the amount of food it can hold on board for the crew.

It can also carry a serious amount of firepower, including torpedoes, missiles and mines, and is designed to deploy special forces such as Navy Seals for ­covert operations.

Beyond its obvious operational advantages, any Collins class crew who end up making the switch to a future Australian navy Virginia-class sub will also be able to enjoy the unlimited amount of fresh water on board thanks to the onboard reverse osmosis water filter that draws on the submarine’s nuclear power. It offers the prospect of showers and laundry as and when needed, a luxury that has typically been out of reach for submariners.

For all the USS Mississippi’s technical complexity, there are some startlingly simple components on board. The periscopes, for example, are operated with off-the-shelf Xbox controllers that cost only a tiny fraction of the bespoke controllers originally ­designed for the boat.

Australian crew already get the opportunity to serve in many onboard roles on board the USS Mississippi and other Virginia-class boats, in specific roles such as sonar, and Admiral Seif said that could well be expanded into other roles as part of the AUKUS deal. “I certainly think that’s a ­viable model and a logical step to expand that … to the full ship including the engine room,” he said.

Among those taking a close look at the USS Mississippi on Wednesday was Commodore Tom Phillips, the Royal Australian Navy’s director-general of submarines.

“With every visit we get more and more interoperable, and that interoperability now moves towards our learning and how to be a suitable steward of nuclear submarines,” he said, praising the idea of Australian submariners working with US counterparts.