SYDNEY - A US nuclear-powered submarine will undergo maintenance in Australia for the first time on Friday, the defense ministers of Australia, Britain and the United States said.

Australian personnel trained with the United States and Britain over the past year ahead of the submarine maintenance at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, involving personnel from the three nations.

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"Our navies are committed to reinforcing the same guiding principles within Australia that have allowed the United States and United Kingdom to safely operate nuclear-powered ships for nearly 70 years," the ministers said in a joint statement.

The statement cited US defense secretary Lloyd Austin, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and Britain's defense secretary, John Healey.

A US Virginia-class submarine, Hawaii, and a US service ship with equipment and maintenance crew have arrived at HMAS Sterling for the maintenance, generally done in US submarine ports.

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The Australian base will host a rotational presence of one British Astute-class and up to four US Virginia-class submarines from 2027.

That will build Australia's experience in operating a fleet of conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines from next decade.

Allaying concern about nuclear waste storage within Australia, which lacks a nuclear power industry, its defense department said no radiological material would be transferred ashore during maintenance.

Last week, the AUKUS partners reduced defense export controls between Australia, Britain and the United States, removing a hurdle in the path of the maintenance task.

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Australia will acquire US nuclear-powered attack submarines and jointly develop with Britain and the United States a new class of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine over the next two decades.