US Navy submarine USS Santa Fe (SSN 763) pulled into Royal Australian Navy base HMAS Stirling on Garden Island after completing training activities with four Australian Collins-class submarines.
Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine Santa Fe took part in a joint training exercise with HMAS Collins, HMAS Farncomb, HMAS Dechaineux and HMAS Sheean, in waters around Australia.
The exercise, which was designed to enhance anti-submarine warfare abilities, gave the crews of both navies the opportunity to employ and experiment with real world tactics.
“Australia is one of our closest allies in the Pacific, and the friendship between our navies underpins a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said Cmdr. Christopher Hedrick, USS Santa Fe commanding officer. “Visiting HMAS Stirling gives me and my crew the opportunity to do our part to strengthen that relationship.”
The four Collins-class submarines by Santa Fe in the West Australian exercise area for evolutions in February 2019. The submarines were in the area to participate in a number of activities, including Exercise Lungfish 2019 and Exercise Ocean Explorer 2019.
Santa Fe is the second U.S. Navy ship to bear the name of the capital of New Mexico. Measuring more than 360 feet long and weighing more than 6,800 tons when submerged, Santa Fe is an improved Los Angeles-class submarine, featuring an advanced fire control system, retractable bow planes, and 12 vertical launch tubes for Tomahawk cruise missile strikes.