Another U.S. Ballistic Missile Submarine's Movements Peculiarly Publicized
Story by Joseph Trevithick • Yesterday 5:44 PM
The U.S. military has made yet another unusual public announcement about the location and activities of one of the U.S. Navy's 14 Ohio class nuclear missile submarines, or SSBNs. U.S. Strategic Command's official statement today disclosed a visit by the USS West Virginia to the British island territory of Diego Garcia, which hosts major American military facilities, earlier this year.
This is the latest in a string of highly irregular public pronouncements in recent months regarding the movements of the Ohio SSBNs, as well as the four other boats in this class that were converted into guided missile submarines, or SSGNs, among other submarines. American officials have repeatedly stressed that these movements are part of routine operations. At the same time, it is difficult not to see these announcements as signals to potential adversaries or just general shows of force in the face of spikes in geopolitical friction in various parts of the world, such as Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, China's actions toward Taiwan, and North Korea's increasing provocative ballistic missile tests.
U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) said in a press release today that USS West Virginia had visited Diego Garcia, which lies in a remote part of the Indian Ocean, between October 25 and 31. The Ohio class SSBN made the stop as part of "an extended deterrence patrol providing security and stability to our Allies" that "emphasizes the unmatched capabilities of a ballistic missile submarine to deter and, if necessary, respond from anywhere on the globe," according to STRATCOM.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/another-u-s-ballistic-missile-submarine-s-movements-peculiarly-publicized/ar-AA14F9Ix?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=2bdeae5791944a22b9cf75cf9f4211d9
