[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 68 (Thursday, April 18, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H2513]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1130
                           A SMART AGREEMENT

  (Mr. COURTNEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, later today on April 18, three Australian 
submariners are slated to graduate from the Naval Submarine Base New 
London in Groton. They are the first three submariners from Australia 
under the AUKUS security agreement who are gaining proficiency to 
operate a nuclear-powered submarine--again, a first for both countries.
  After graduating from this course, they will be headed to Naval 
Station Pearl Harbor for assignment to United States Virginia-class 
submarines, and this, again, marks another first where they will be the 
first-ever Australian naval personnel assigned a U.S. Navy vessel.
  Over the next 12 months, 100 more Australian Navy personnel will 
continue in this pipeline to implement the AUKUS agreement, which is 
one of the smartest collaborations between the U.S., the U.K., and 
Australia to uplift their submarine capacity to work together for the 
three nations and rebalance the deteriorating security environment in 
the Indo-Pacific. I congratulate them all, or as they would say in 
Australian, good on ya.

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