Senior Navy Leader Visits Indo-Pacific for AUKUS, Strengthens Interoperability from Under Secretary of the Navy Public Affairs 

From SECNAV Public Affairs, Sept. 4, 2024 

PERTH, Australia – Acting Under Secretary of the Navy Tom Mancinelli traveled to Perth, Australia, Sept. 1-3, to meet with partner navies, government officials, and military leaders to discuss their shared commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific. 

Mancinelli observed the Submarine Tendered Maintenance Period (STMP) and engaged with Royal Australian and U.S. Navy Sailors supporting this Australia, United Kingdom, United States (AUKUS) milestone. 

“AUKUS is a partnership to defend a free and open Indo-Pacific and defend our shared interests,” the acting Under Secretary said.  “The United States is committed to its success as we take on the challenges of the 21st century together.” 

Throughout the trip, he discussed the trilateral AUKUS partnership and held several engagements to communicate the Department of the Navy’s commitment to advancing interoperability, innovation, and maritime security. 

The acting Under Secretary of the Navy met with senior defense leaders, Royal Australian Navy (RAN) leaders, and government leaders during his travel to Western Australia, to include Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence Richard Marles, Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Development Pat Conroy, Premier of Western Australia Roger Cook, Western Australia Minister for Defence Paul Papalia, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King, British High Commissioner Vicki Treadell, RAN Chief of Navy Vice Adm. Mark Hammond, and Director General Australian Submarine Agency Vice Adm. Jonathan Mead. 

Leaders exchanged views on the importance of maritime security and spoke about AUKUS Optimal Pathway accomplishments, the significance of maintaining strong navies, as well as their shared commitment to ensure a stable, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, complementing the existing regional security architecture. 

“There is no substitute for presence.  We are supporting this generational opportunity that will increase our maritime capabilities and interoperability, while also helping Australia develop and operate its own sovereign, conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines,” Mancinelli emphasized. 

“The Submarine Tendered Maintenance Period, a hallmark of AUKUS Pillar I for 2024, is a proud step forward in our shared journey,” said Mancinelli.  “It represents one of the tangible ways in which our navies are sharing our talents and resources.” 

At HMAS Stirling, the future home to Submarine Rotational Force – West, which is helping to shape Australia’s future fleet of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, he visited commands and thanked personnel. 

The acting Under Secretary toured the USS Hawaii (SSN 776) alongside Albanese and Marles. On board he spoke with Australian and U.S. Navy Sailors working together and conducting maintenance on the submarine. 

Separately, Mancinelli met with Fleet Support Unit Sailors and visited the submarine tender ship USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) to talk with Sailors and meet defense and RAN leaders.  

USS Emory S. Land Sailors are supporting maintenance activities aboard the Hawaii.  This is the first time Australians have participated in a U.S. submarine maintenance period in Australia. Additionally, more than 30 Australian personnel who participated in a knowledge exchange period that began in January 2024 aboard Emory S. Land are executing the majority of planned maintenance work with U.S. support and oversight. 

“I am excited to see progress firsthand, and I look forward to seeing an even closer partnership with the Australian Navy and British Navy in the future as we work together to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific.” 

Mancinelli then toured the Henderson Shipyard and Hoffman Engineering, an Australian firm that supplies parts for Australia’s Collins class submarines. 

 “We’re making historic investments in our own defense industrial base capabilities and standing shoulder to shoulder with two countries that share our values and our commitment to peace and security,” he noted.  

Lastly, he visited a Perth-based think tank and engaged in dialogue with defense and national security experts about AUKUS.  He also discussed the strategic importance of the enduring Alliance between Australia and the U.S. and the ways in which our navies are working together to uphold the rules-based order.  

The U.S. and Australian navies share a mutual interest in maintaining freedom of navigation and open sea lanes for trade and commerce. They conduct frequent cooperative deployments, and regularly operate together during flagship theater exercises such as Pacific Partnership, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), and the Australian-led Kakadu. 

This trip marked Mancinelli’s first international trip as the acting Under Secretary of the Navy and his first visit to Perth, Australia.