The USS Canberra, an Independence-class littoral combat ship, began active duty in Australia on Saturday, marking the first U.S. Navy vessel to be stationed in a foreign port.
Named after an Australian Navy cruiser that sank in 1942 during the Guadalcanal landings, the ship was commissioned at a ceremony at a naval base in Sydney Harbor.
This action coincides with the start of the biennial Talisman Sabre military exercises involving over 30,000 soldiers from the U.S., Australia, and other countries like Germany, France, and Japan.
These exercises feature ground and air combat drills across various locations in Australia. The exercises also occur amid increased international attention to the strategic Indo-Pacific region.
According to the Australian Navy, two Chinese vessels are expected to monitor the exercises from international waters.
This event follows the 2021 establishment of the AUKUS security pact (Australia, United Kingdom, U.S.) that plans to share advanced defense technology.
As part of the pact, Australia aims to deploy a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines by 2030.