HMS Audacious and the USS Georgia were both berthed at the British Overseas Territory at the same time.

David Parody captured the meeting as shown below in the embedded tweet. I recommend you follow him by clicking here.

HMS Audacious is an Astute-class nuclear-powered submarine. HMS Audacious, the fourth submarine in the class, was launched in April 2017. The submarine can be employed in a variety of important roles. These include covert intelligence gathering and strategic strike using the fearsome Tomahawk Land Attack Missile.

The USS Georgia is an Ohio class ballistic missile submarine, one of four U.S. Navy submarines converted to carry cruise missiles rather than Trident missiles. You can read more about her role here.

It is unusual for two submarines to be in Gibraltar at the same time, the last time this happened was in 2019 with the USS Olympia and HMS Talent. The arrival of the two submarines has, as is routine, provoked protest from the Spanish government. It is understood that Spain protested to the US over its decision to not send the USS Georgia to Rota where the US has a permanent base.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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57 COMMENTS

  2. Two submarines loading up on TLAMs simultaneously, with one carry an SDV. Not that we’ll ever know, but these must be heading towards the entrance to the Black Sea, surely?

    • I seriously doubt that the USS Georgia was stocking up on Tomahawks at a British base. It would have left its home port at Kings Bay already stocked.

    • It’s like loading a revolver in a bar. There are few more public places than the docks in Gibraltar, and the obvious implication is that they are bound for the Mediterranean, even if they are not. It all puts pressure on the Russians.

      • this reenforce that other than ib, ships and submarines will rely on bases like toulonand in italy to’fill upturkey will always be an option

  3. The Spanish – a NATO member – have not been reported in mainstream media as supporting the Ukraine since the Russian aggression

    Since 2012 about 70 Russian warships have stopped at the Spanish naval base opposite Gib at Ceuta, to resupply and give their crews R&R

    The vessels have included submarines, frigates, destroyers, amphibious assault ships and auxiliary vessels.

    The frequency with which Russian navy ships call into the port – at least 10 times a year – have turned the Spanish exclave into the main base of the Russian fleet in the western Mediterranean. The Spanish should shut the fcuk up

    • Well, I’ll wager that Ceuta is an int haven at the moment.

      Should Russian crews be allowed a pivo or dva, then lots of humint material; don’t knock it, feeds a bigger picture.

    • Spain

      • 1,370 Instalaza C-90 anti-tank grenade launchers, an unspecified number of light machine guns and 700,000 bullets on 2 March 2022.
      • Unspecified shipment of arms and ammunition
      • 1 RG-31 Nyala mine-resistant vehicle configured as an ambulance

      • Good to see. Need to keep the supplies coming.
        I have wondered before about the use of bases by potential enemy’s etc. Is it purely the base operators don’t care and need the cash? Or is there more to it like it’s great opportunity to gather intel on the ships while in port?
        The big test will be do the Russians get to use the base now and in the future.
        Do they use the commercial part of the port or is it actual Spanish navy port?
        Plenty of other ports that could be used so why this one

        • You would hope so.

          That way NATO might have a better idea as to the state of the ships than Putin.

          You would, in principle, get a good look from the port CCTV and can sit there and monitor EM with an aerial practically on board so if anything is Switched on you will know about what is on board instantly.

          You can also see what is connected disconnected and what is maintained with a pair of binoculars from any nearby building by monitoring maintenance and inspection routines.

          No idea if that is what is going on, mind, but it would be an easy way of hovering up a lot of information that is otherwise quite hard to get hold of.

          This way nobody is really at risk gathering the intel.

  4. Good to see RN subs getting armed. It will be interesting to see if the RAN goes with the/an Astute design and if any of the boats will be potentially be built in the UK and if there will be any additional boats for the RN fleet with any UK defence budget uplift and prior to any newer designs?

  5. Russians are known to have an extra undersea boat in the black sea fully armed with 16 misille s must be in response to the extra threat I suspect.

  6. Is she along as a distraction a la last time when we were dancing with multiple Russian naval platforms? Could become quite heated.

    • I had thought the Spanish protests were going to be about the nuclear issue, turns out it’s not, it’s the fact it’s Gibraltar!
      What’s the point. U.K. isn’t giving Gibraltar to Spain. Just a waste of time and money. There’s probably a whole team employed just to complain about Gibraltar.
      Funny Spain hadn’t led by example of giving back its oversea territories.

      • I’ve found a good way to piss of any Spanish tools I come across. Just call Spain North Gibraltar. They love it. 😉

      • It was nuclear safety they also complained about, but didn’t explain how that wouldn’t be an issue if USS Georgia docked at their base of course

  8. They need to be aware of the newly converted Russian submarine the “Moskva” in the Black sea, who has “heroically converted itself into the newest Russkie Navy Submarine, bravely taking this heroic struggle for the motherland to rid the seabed of evil Azov and other Ukraninian Nazis”……..

    • You’re wrong. The Moskva is truly an awesome submarine. Plus, it’s the only part of the Russian military that has successfully completed its mission. It was told to fuck itself.. and it did. Awesome machine.

  10. This photo is of a Unit of Zulu Game guards in the old Natal Parks Board. Brave and efficient men organised on quasi military lines under whose protection virtually no Rhino were poached

      • Absolutely David. Whatever one feels about the British Empire, we were superb administrators and organisers. Units such as the Kings African Rifles, the BSAP and indeed the Natal Parks Board defined the meaning of excellence and could sure give those Ruskies a run for their money!!
        I had the privilege to work with men such as these on a game reserve project and as a Parks Board Honorary Officer and you could find no better on the planet.

  12. I see the US military have just picked Sig for their new rifle & machinegun in the new brass/steel 6.8×51 80000psi cartridge.

  13. in these times of global unrest, i think, if finland and sweden join the alliance, then,i believe the alliance would be well advised to look at expanding NATO with a iew to a wider geographic makup. bringing countries such as cyprus and malta would provide a more balanced coverage on a wider scope. gibraltar too, due to its strategic location should not be ignored, as it has been. i think the permanent basing of a couple of t23’s and hopefully a type 45 or arleigh burke would be a good starting point. also a squadron of f 35’s and a proper garrison i’ve recently been to gib, and the difference made to the rock by continued few visits from western navys has hit the economy hard. hospitality in particar has been decimated. which is why, if you’re an old sailor like me. most of the old regular watering holes are now long gone including everything in irishtown, and on main street. its also become quite ambivelous to british tourism. ITS A REASSURING THING TO KNOW THAT IF PUSH CAME TO SHOVE nato CAN IELD FULL CARRIER BATTLE GROUPS FROM THE U.S(UP TO 10), TWO FROM BRITAIN, ONE FROM FRANCE AND TWO SMALLER GROUPS WITH LIGHT CARRIERS FROM SPAIN AND ITALY.A STRONG PRESENCE ON GIBRALTAR AND CYPRUS AND MALTA,would give full mediterranean dominance. turkey and greece can lend weight as well, egypt is a consideration strategically, the need to sew up the suez canal zone, egypt has two mistral’s which, if re configured to carry a few f 35’swould provide a another very light group, all inall the big russian ‘military which will not recover from its bloody nose the ukrainians have given it,it is no longer the prospect that it was. as it stands NATO would eat the russian forces so,gun up gib. move back to malta, big up cyprus get the arab navys on board and russia will be toast.

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