Australia's AUKUS Base to Connect to Subsea Cables
Australia's AUKUS submarine fleet base and its vicinity are being quietly connected to three powerful new undersea internet cables planned by Alphabet's Google and SUBCO, documents viewed by Reuters show.
The HMAS Stirling naval base located on the west coast of Australia will accommodate four Virginia submarines commanded by the U.S. starting in 2027, positioning the U.S. Navy on the edge of the Indian Ocean as Washington and Canberra intensify monitoring of Chinese submarine movements.
The ultra-speed cables proposed by Google and local firm SUBCO, which would stretch across the Indian Ocean to Africa and Asia while linking Australia's eastern and western coasts, would land at or near HMAS Stirling, positioning the base at the heart of a swiftly growing network as Australia’s military aims to enhance its digital resilience.
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SUBCO announced that a new high-capacity cable linking Australia's east and west coasts will feature a branch to HMAS Stirling, although public documents for the project only reference a Perth city landing, located 60 km (37.28 miles) to the north.
According to founder Bevan Slattery, the new routes developed by SUBCO and Google are essential for providing the capacity and resilience needed, serving as a secure hub for the region and supporting Australia’s AI goals.
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In 2022, SUBCO finished the initial Australia-Oman cable, which Reuters indicated received partial funding from the Pentagon to incorporate a "classified" branch to the joint U.S.-UK air base at Diego Garcia.
Google's strategy involves a cable heading north to Christmas Island, a distant Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, and another cable crossing the Indian Ocean to Africa, both set to reach Madora Bay close to the HMAS Stirling naval base.
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Google's environmental application for a distinct Pacific Ocean cable along Australia's east coast, linking to the United States, references "geostrategic shifts in the Indo-Pacific," as well as a resolution by the Quad diplomatic alliance of Australia, the U.S., Japan, and India to invest in underwater cables, providing the backdrop for the initiative.