Sending political signals? US media: US strategic nuclear submarines rarely appear in Public Guam

According to the CNN website reported on January 17, one of the most powerful weapons in the U.S. Navy's arsenal has rarely docked on Guam in recent days. Analysts say the move is a signal to allies and adversaries at a time of rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.

According to reports, the "Ohio" class nuclear-powered submarine "Nevada" sailed into the naval base located in the US Pacific island territory on the 15th. This is the first time that a ballistic missile strategic nuclear submarine has docked on Guam since 2016, and the second time since the 1980s that it has been announced to the public.

"This call strengthens U.S. cooperation with allies in the region and demonstrates U.S. combat capabilities, flexibility, state of readiness, and a consistent commitment to security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region," the U.S. Navy said. ”

The whereabouts of the U.S. Navy's ballistic missile submarines are generally kept strictly confidential. Nuclear power means the submarines are able to sail underwater for months at a time, limiting their endurance with supplies needed to sustain more than 150 crews.

The U.S. Navy says the Ohio-class nuclear submarines sail for an average of 77 days before being maintained and resupplied in port for about a month.

Even at their home ports — Bangor in Washington state and Kings Bay in Georgia — few people have been photographed. The secrecy of ballistic missile submarines makes them "the most important survivable pillar of the nuclear trinity." The nuclear trinity also includes well-fired ballistic missiles deployed on the U.S. soil, as well as nuclear-capable bombers such as the B-2 and B-52.

The report quoted analysts as saying that Washington could use ballistic missile nuclear submarines to show its attitude.

Thomas Schugart, an analyst at the Center for New American Security, said: "Whether intentionally or unintentionally, it sends a signal that we can deploy more than 100 nuclear warheads on your doorstep, and you don't even know it, and there's nothing you can do about it." And you can't do it, and you can't do it for quite a long time. ”

Alessio Pattalano, a professor of war and strategic studies at King's College London, said in addition to sending so-called political signals, the Nevada's appearance in the area provided an opportunity.

"The emergence of this type of submarine — especially in training and exercises — provides an important opportunity to learn how to hunt down submarines from other countries in the region," Patalano said. ”

The U.S. Navy's ballistic missile submarine last visited Guam in 2016, when the USS Pennsylvania docked in Guam.

Since then, tensions in the Indo-Pacific region have risen dramatically, analysts say, and in the current environment, Washington is likely to make more such military displays.

"This deployment reminds us that the maritime nuclear order [in the Indo-Pacific] is of great importance, and while it is often not a topic of public discussion, we may see more of this in the process of achieving a regional strategic balance," Patalano said. ”

Source: Reference News Network