US nuclear-powered sub makes historic stop in Faroe Islands in North Atlantic

 

The Virginia-class attack submarine USS Delaware arrived in Torshavn for a scheduled port visit June 26, 2023, marking the first time a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine has moored in the Faroe Islands. (Michael N. Mowry/U.S. Navy)

A port call in the Faroe Islands this week marked the first-ever visit by a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine to the North Atlantic archipelago, the Navy said.

The USS Delaware’s stop at the capital of Torshavn on Monday follows a similar visit by a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine in Iceland that came amid rising NATO and U.S. concerns about significant Russian underwater activity in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Faroe Islands and the High North are vital areas for U.S. submarine operations, Rear Adm. Stephen Mack, director of maritime operations for U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, said in a statement Tuesday.

In April, the USS San Juan made a stop for supplies and personnel off the coast of Iceland after such brief visits were approved with assurances that the country and its territorial waters would remain free of nuclear weapons.

The Virginia-class attack submarine USS Delaware arrived in Torshavn for a scheduled port visit June 26, 2023, marking the first time a U.S. nuclear powered submarine has moored in the Faroe Islands. 

The Virginia-class attack submarine USS Delaware arrived in Torshavn for a scheduled port visit June 26, 2023, marking the first time a U.S. nuclear powered submarine has moored in the Faroe Islands. (Michael N. Mowry/U.S. Navy)

That stopover came as Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, the top U.S. military officer in Europe, told a congressional committee that Russian submarine patrols in the Atlantic were at higher levels than those seen in years.

The port call by Delaware, a Virginia class attack submarine, also comes after a Faroese government restriction earlier this month limited Russian access to its ports solely to fishing boats.

The self-governing island group, part of Denmark, is working to reduce the risk of espionage and has faced criticism following renewal of a bilateral fisheries accord with Russia in November, the news service Agence France-Press reported June 1.

The Faroe Islands comprise 18 mountainous islands located halfway between Iceland and Scotland in the North Atlantic. It has a population of about 50,000, of which about 40% is in Torshavn.