The United States and The Bahamas have renewed an agreement allowing the U.S. Navy to operate one of its most important undersea testing facilities in the Caribbean, extending a partnership that has endured for decades and expanding opportunities for cooperation on maritime security, military readiness and emergency response.
The five-year extension of the lease for the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center, or AUTEC, on Andros Island was signed September 29, 2026, at the Office of the Prime Minister in Nassau. Under the agreement, the U.S. will pay $12.4 million annually for continued use of the facility. The agreement was signed by Bahamas Cabinet Secretary Colin Higgs and U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas H.E. Hershel Walker.
The renewed agreement underscores the importance both countries place on AUTEC and its unique capabilities, which support U.S. Navy undersea warfare testing and training while providing opportunities for cooperation with The Bahamas and other U.S. allies.
A unique testing range
AUTEC is a U.S. Navy deepwater test and evaluation facility. It supports research, development, testing and evaluation of undersea warfare systems, as well as fleet training, certification and proficiency exercises. The facility’s importance comes largely from its geography. Off the eastern side of Andros lies the “tongue of the ocean,” a roughly 40-kilometer wide and 241-kilometer-long flat-bottomed trench that drops sharply from shallow water to depths of about 1,829 meters. Protective shoals and reefs limit sea noise, creating unusually favorable conditions for testing submarine acoustics and sonar systems.
AUTEC operates three principal testing areas — weapons, acoustics and sonar — and has been operating since 1967. The U.S. and United Kingdom signed the original treaty four years earlier. After The Bahamas became independent in 1973, Washington and Nassau negotiated a new agreement, which was signed in 1984. The facility remains a major U.S. military asset because it provides a controlled environment for testing and training that is difficult to duplicate.
A broader military partnership
AUTEC’s role extends beyond U.S. submarine operations. In July 2025, Royal Bahamas Defence Force Commodore Floyd Moxey visited the facility and met with AUTEC Officer in Charge Cmdr. Jeremy S. Reed as part of an effort to improve coordination between the U.S. installation and the Bahamian defense force.
The visit included discussions of joint operations, maritime security, emergency response and transportation support, according to The Nassau Guardian newspaper. Moxey also raised potential opportunities for natural disaster preparation, including storm shelter assistance and collaborative exercises to improve readiness.
The facility already has played a role in disaster response. After Hurricane Dorian devastated parts of The Bahamas in 2019, AUTEC became a relief hub. The U.S. Coast Guard deployed 13 helicopters there, and subsequent search and rescue operations saved more than 200 lives, according to the military affairs website We Are The Mighty.
AUTEC also has supported large U.S. military exercises. During the 2024 Distributed Aviation Operations Exercise, Marine light-attack helicopter squadrons used forward arming and refueling points established on Andros to practice distributed maritime warfare tactics.
The range’s international importance has grown as well. In late 2025, AUTEC conducted its first sensor accuracy test on a German Navy ship, the FGS Berlin, as part of NATO’s FORACS program, demonstrating that the facility can support allied and U.S. operations.
Development and environmental stewardship
The U.S. military’s presence on Andros also involves infrastructure and environmental responsibilities. In 2019, the Naval Facilities Engineering Command awarded a $27.3 million contract to build a two-story, 10,668-meter unaccompanied housing complex that can accommodate up to 176 military personnel. The project was intended to replace aging and inadequate housing.
Environmental stewardship has become part of the facility’s relationship with the island, as well. Naval Undersea Warfare Center personnel and scientists have undertaken coral mitigation efforts, including relocating protected mountainous star coral to clear the way for pier construction while protecting the surrounding reef.
AUTEC personnel also have participated in wildlife rescues. In 2020, members of the facility’s Fire and Emergency Services Water Rescue Team freed an endangered green sea turtle that had become entangled in fishing lines and nets in the AUTEC harbor.
In addition to providing continued access to a valuable testing range, the renewed lease preserves a longstanding and close Bahamas-U.S. relationship. That broader association was reflected in comments by Reed in a February 2025 article by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport. The article focused on an AUTEC-supported donation of school supplies to Andros Island schools.
“Having the opportunity to serve my country overseas, strengthen the relationship between The Bahamas and the United States, all while giving back to the amazing people of Andros Island has been truly rewarding,” Reed said.