Rear Adm. Chris Cavanaugh, commander of Submarine Group 7, poses with the first Australian officer to earn the U.S. Navy Submarine Warfare Device, also known as "dolphins," at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, Dec. 12, 2024. (Daniel Providakes/U.S. Navy)
An Australian naval officer recently became the first of his countryman to earn the U.S. Navy Submarine Warfare Device, often referred to as “dolphins.”
The Australian lieutenant commander, identified only by his first name, James, received the award during a Dec. 12 ceremony at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, according to a Navy news release Tuesday. It did not list the officer’s last name, citing Australian navy guidelines.
“It is always an honor to pin dolphins on a Sailor’s uniform and welcome them into an elite community of undersea warfighters,” Rear Adm. Chris Cavanaugh, commander of Submarine Group 7, said in the release.
In January, the Navy identified Lt. Cmdr. James Heydon as one of three Australians who became the first to complete initial training for nuclear power operators at the Nuclear Power Training Unit at Goose Creek, S.C.
The Submarine Warfare Device is a mandatory qualification for all submariners in the U.S. Navy, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command website. Sailors must demonstrate a strong understanding of all systems, compartments and equipment aboard the submarine to earn the badge.
The Australian officer earned his dolphins while serving aboard the USS Vermont, a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, according to the release.
Australian naval officers are training on U.S. Navy submarines as part of the 2021 trilateral AUKUS partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. More than 100 Australian officers participate in the program, according to the Tuesday release.
AUKUS was formed to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarine capabilities while ensuring they have submariners capable of safely operating and maintaining the vessels. The member states agreed to start training Australian navy personnel in 2023.
Australian officers and civilians began embedding with the U.S. and U.K. navies last year.
In August, the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land arrived at HMAS Stirling, near Perth, Australia, for several weeks of maintenance training on a U.S. nuclear-powered sub. In February, 37 Australian officers and sailors arrived at Naval Base Guam for similar training.
In March, President Joe Biden’s administration trimmed plans to produce two Virginia-class subs in 2025 for Australia to one, according to Bloomberg.
The U.S. plans to sell three Virginia-class nuclear submarines to Australia after 2030 as part of the program, pending approval from Congress closer to the time of sale, according to a White House fact sheet released in March.
