During an interview from Washington, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said the AUKUS program known as Submarine Rotational Force-West (SRF-West), and is scheduled to begin next year, would end in 2032. “This is a time-limited rotation,” Mr Conroy told the ABC on Wednesday evening, in comments which The Nightly has been told sparked a flurry of conversations between US and Australian defence officials. That’s why they’re not based there; they’re only in HMAS Stirling for a limited amount of time each year.” The Opposition says Mr Conroy’s attempts to clean up the confusion still left many unanswered questions and demanded the defence minister intervene to give clarity to Australia’s closest ally. “Pat Conroy’s boss, (Defence Minister) Richard Marles, must make clear today: are US submarines welcome in WA beyond 2032 or not?”.