US attack submarine operates in Norway’s High North

The Virginia-class fast attack submarine USS Delaware has completed a port visit to Grøtsund, Norway, as the US Navy continues to expand undersea operations in the High North, according to US Sixth Fleet.

The submarine concluded the visit on 7 September after hosting senior US Sixth Fleet personnel and Norwegian officials, with the deployment forming part of wider American activity across the Norwegian Sea and Arctic approaches.

Rear Admiral John W. Stafford, commander of Task Force 169, said operating submarines through the region was important both for European security and for the defence of the United States. He said: “Operations in the strategic gateways of the High North and Norwegian Sea are of paramount importance to maritime security, both for the defence of Europe and the defence of the U.S. homeland.”

Stafford added that routinely deploying US undersea forces alongside other capabilities was intended to improve interoperability with allies and strengthen the ability to deter and defend across the theatre. The US Navy said the presence of Delaware in the region forms part of broader efforts to maintain freedom of manoeuvre and navigation, with American submarines routinely operating between the Arctic and Atlantic.

Those deployments are used for maritime domain awareness, surveillance and wider security tasks across the European region. Virginia-class submarines are designed for a broad range of missions, including anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, land attack, intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance, special operations and support for uncrewed systems. They can also employ Tomahawk cruise missiles for strike missions and support special operations forces from beneath the surface.

The visit to Grøtsund comes as Norway continues to play an increasingly important role in allied activity in the High North, where NATO forces regularly train and operate across the North Atlantic, Norwegian Sea and Arctic approaches. US Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, oversees American naval operations across Europe and Africa and regularly works alongside NATO allies and other partner forces.