Google Cables Link Australia’s AUKUS Submarine Base

Australia’s AUKUS submarine base on the country’s west coast is emerging as a digital nerve centre, with new undersea internet cables by Google and local operator SUBCO quietly converging near HMAS Stirling — the future home of U.S. nuclear-powered submarines.

Documents viewed by Reuters reveal that three powerful undersea cables, stretching from Australia across the Indian Ocean to Africa and Asia, will land at or close to the naval base in Rockingham, south of Perth. The move comes as Canberra and Washington deepen cooperation under the AUKUS pact, seeking stronger digital and military resilience amid rising tensions with China.

SUBCO confirmed that its upcoming high-capacity cable, designed to link Australia’s east and west coasts, will include a discreet branch directly to HMAS Stirling. Publicly, project filings only mention a landing site in Perth, about 60 kilometres north of the base. The firm’s founder Bevan Slattery described the network as essential for regional stability and for supporting Australia’s expanding AI infrastructure.

Google’s plans go even further. The tech giant intends to build two major routes from Western Australia — one running north to Christmas Island and another stretching west across the Indian Ocean to Africa. Both are set to make landfall at Madora Bay, within reach of the AUKUS base, positioning it at the crossroads of global data routes.

The connection could significantly enhance secure communication between Australia, the U.S., and other allies. Around 1,000 U.S. Navy personnel are expected to begin relocating to Rockingham and nearby Mandurah next year to prepare for the arrival of four Virginia-class submarines from 2027.

Experts say the expansion of subsea networks offers a double-edged advantage — faster, more resilient data for military and commercial operations, but also greater exposure to potential sabotage. Australia’s navy has already warned that while undersea cables are the nation’s digital lifeline, they also represent a critical vulnerability.

Even as construction advances, Australia’s environment regulator has paused assessment of Google’s Western Australian cable projects, citing the need to examine potential impacts on marine life. Google, for its part, maintains it will follow all environmental and security requirements.

The quiet arrival of these cables marks more than just a technological upgrade — it signals Australia’s growing role at the heart of a new digital and defence frontier in the Indo-Pacific.