Australia will allow US nuclear-powered submarines to use a new shipyard in Western Australia as part of the AUKUS defence pact.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said Canberra will invest A$12bn to expand the Henderson shipyard near Perth into a major hub for building landing craft, frigates, and servicing submarines. The project is expected to create about 10,000 jobs, according to Reuters.
Marles noted that since the facility is developed under the AUKUS framework, US submarines will have access to its dry docks once complete. The site has already received an initial A$127m upgrade.
