- A US Navy nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine surfaced in the Norwegian Sea.
- It was accompanied by a guided-missile cruiser and two naval aircraft.
- The show of force came weeks after Russia sent a submarine and naval fleet to Cuba.
A US Navy nuclear-powered ballistic submarine popped up in the Norwegian Sea this week in a rare show of force. It was accompanied by a guided-missile cruiser and two naval aircraft.
US Naval Forces Europe-Africa/US 6th Fleet announced the movement of the USS Tennessee (SSBN 734) in the Norwegian Sea on Tuesday, writing that the sub was joined by the USS Normandy (CG 60) as well as a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft and an E-6B Mercury strategic communications plane.
Per the US military post on X, the fleet was in the Norwegian Sea on Sunday. The specific intention wasn't overtly stated, but these assets send a message to potential adversaries.
The flex notably comes amid persistent tensions with Russia, which has been rattling the nuclear saber lately, and just a few weeks after Russia sent a naval flotilla, including one of its own nuclear-powered subs, to Cuba.
The USS Tennessee is an Ohio-class ballistic-missile sub able to carry as many as 20 Trident nuclear missiles. Its accompanying E-6B Mercury "provides survivable, reliable, and endurable airborne Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) for the president, secretary of defense, and US Strategic Command," according to Naval Air Systems Command.
Like the Air Force E-4B "Nightwatch," the Navy plane is sometimes called the "Doomsday plane," as it can relay National Command Authority directives to US submarines as part of the "Take Charge and Move Out" mission and fulfill "Looking Glass" obligations, which involves directing nuclear forces if the ground-based options are gone.
The E-6B Mercury had been tracked flying an operation off the coast of Norway on Sunday, which Hans Kristensen, the director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, wrote on X "indicated forward operations with nuclear missile submarines."
While Kristensen said this was expected, he said he didn't expect to see a nuclear sub surface, calling it "a blunt signal to Russia."
As the "boomers," or ballistic-missile subs, are an element of the US nuclear triad, the US Navy doesn't regularly reveal where they are. Other elements of the submarine force also tend to be far less visible than the surface fleet.
But since 2020, it has been more frequently making its presence known in the North Atlantic and nearby seas, particularly around Norway and other NATO allies. Part of this reflects increased cooperation between Norway, the US, and other NATO partners.
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