Navy Sends A Message By Publicizing Guided Missile Submarine's Mediterranean Presence
The choice to disclose the USS Georgia's whereabouts was likely a deterrent reminder aimed at Russia.
By Brett Tingley January 19, 2022
The War Zone
The U.S. Navy’s Sixth Fleet has offered an unusual public disclosure of the location of USS Georgia (SSGN 729), one of four of the service’s converted Ohio class nuclear-powered guided-missile submarines, or SSGNs, as it conducted a brief stop near the island of Cyprus. These rare disclosures tend to occur at times of heightened international tensions. With the situation in Ukraine quickly approaching an outright crisis, it’s likely that the Navy intended for this glimpse at Georgia to serve as a signal to both allies and Russia that the United States has a highly capable presence in the region that can reach out and strike over long distances with little risk to itself.
The USS Georgia’s appearance was made public on Twitter by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet. Along with three images of Georgia, the accompanying tweet stated that the visit occurred on January 15 near the city of Limassol. The exact location Georgia visited in Cyprus wasn’t disclosed, but U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet is known to conduct training and logistical operations at Naval Base Lieutenant General Evangelos Florakis in Mari, Cyprus some 16 miles from Limassol.
Georgia’s visit to Cyprus coincides with the ongoing deployment of USS Harry S. Truman, the lead ship of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 8, to the Mediterranean. In December 2021, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered the strike group to remain in the Mediterranean instead of carrying out its planned deployment to the Middle East. As of January 18, the carrier strike group was still deployed to the Mediterranean alongside a Royal Norwegian Navy frigate. An unnamed official told USNI News that the decision was made in order to reassure European allies of U.S. commitment to regional security.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/43943/navy-sends-a-message-by-publicizing-guided-missile-submarines-mediterranean-presence
