A Virginia class submarine arrived on the 30th of July, a Los Angeles class submarine arrived on the 25th of July and an Ohio class submarine arruved on the 18th of July.

This happened around this time last year too with the arrival of an unknown Virginia class submarines in July 2022. While visits themselves are common, this frequency of visits is was not previously common, growing more frequent over the last year.

Neither is it common for visits to be publicised by the U.S. Navy or Royal Navy unlike the visit of the USS Rhode Island, a Trident-armed nuclear submarine, that arrived (and departed) last year.

The last time a U.S. Navy SSBN conducted a port visit to Faslane was when USS Alaska (SSBN 732) visited in July 2019.

The U.S. Navy said that this port visit to Faslane reflects the United States’ “commitment to our allies and partners in the region and complements the many exercises, training, operations, and other military cooperation activities conducted by Strategic Forces to ensure they are available and ready to safely and effectively operate around the globe at any time”.

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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20 COMMENTS

  1. Possibly a lower key, but nonetheless effective, US policy response/statement to Medvedev’s running commentary re potential nuclear weapons employment? 🤔 Deliberative actions sometimes speak volumes; believe Russian General Staff comprehends this.

    • Agree, I am guessing there has been a major NATO SSN reinforcement in the North Atlantic which is why we see so many US and French boats at Faslane now.

      I wonder how many Russian SSBN’s are now routinely being tracked.

      Hope Putin is wondering much the same.

    • Possibly also an increase in activity up in the Norwegian Sea! Wouldn’t account for the visit of the Ohio class of course.

      • Quite possibly multiple agendas being addressed simultaneously. The chess pieces are admittedly being moved around the board relatively vigorously at the moment. Reasonably unconcerned, unless the same planners also dispatch a large BUFF bomber task force to UK–then we could have a different ballgame. 🤔

        • And they would always be most welcome, so would a detachment of B21’s when they are ready! Unfortunately still a few years away I fear.

  2. No doubt that they would have been impressed with the escort of a ‘mighty’ pointless archer

    • All SM’s routinely get escorted into Faslane by several small boats, including MGS Ribs. They are there to keep the ‘tourists’ at a safe distance so nothing untoward happens.

      Several years ago a MGS Rib got too close to a returning SSBN and got flipped over in its wake. The SM recovered one of the two man crew, they didn’t find much of the second crew member who very very unfortunately, met the propulser on his way past.

        • Yes, the Faslane Marine detachment of the MDP. The RM also have couple of patrol boats there.

          • Our SSBNs not only pick up a QHM Pilot on there way in, but also a very nice Royal with a very long rifle!

      • An extremely unfortunate incident, send demonstrating the margins of safe ops. are sometimes minimal. Always has head on swivel around flight line.

        • …delete ‘send’, change ‘has’ to ‘had’. Not currently drunk. Blame proofreading technique…🙄

      • It is, mate. Too many CND Greenpeace types about. Mull and Rona, I think the RM boats are called, plus assorted MDP craft.

    • Archers? They are assigned to the URNU’s I don’t think they’re used when an SSN or SSBN is inbound or outbound.

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