澳大利亚官员本周围绕美国在该国军事基地的长期部署承诺发出矛盾信号，引发对AUKUS防务协议真实意图的困惑。工业部长帕特·康罗伊周五表示，美国核潜艇旋转部队将在澳大利亚开始运作本国核潜艇时逐步"淡出"[1]，这一说法随后遭到防长理查德·马莱斯的直接驳斥。马莱斯同日向News24表示，美国在澳大利亚的存在将是"持久的"[1]。
美国海军计划从明年起在位于西澳州的HMAS Stirling基地部署多达4艘弗吉尼亚级核潜艇[1]。为支撑这一部署，美国海军已重新成立第3潜艇中队，该中队曾在珍珠港运作，于2012年被裁撤[1]。前澳大利亚高级顾问迈克·佩祖洛就军事存在的实质性发表看法称："当他们带上家人和宠物时，那就是一个基地"[1]。反对党国防发言人詹姆斯·帕特森指责康罗伊在美国海军到达前就下达了驱逐令[1]。
Australia's defense establishment spent a week contradicting itself over the permanence of the U.S. military presence in the country, leaving the nature of America's commitment in doubt. Industry Minister Pat Conroy told reporters on Friday that U.S. submarine operations at HMAS Stirling would gradually "phase out" once Australia begins operating its own nuclear submarines in the early 2030s, suggesting a temporary arrangement [1]. Hours later, Defense Minister Richard Marles clarified to News24 that the American presence would be "enduring," directly contradicting his cabinet colleague's characterization [1].
The conflicting messages center on a cornerstone of the AUKUS trilateral security pact: the planned rotation of up to four Virginia-class nuclear submarines from the United States beginning next year [1]. To support this deployment, the U.S. Navy has reestablished the Third Submarine Squadron, which previously operated out of Pearl Harbor before being decommissioned in 2012 [1]. Former senior Australian advisor Mike Pezzullo offered a colloquial litmus test for the arrangement's permanence, stating: "When they bring their families and pets, that's a base" [1]. Opposition defense spokesman James Paterson seized on the ministerial confusion to accuse Conroy of effectively ordering out the American Navy before it had even arrived [1].