Naval Base Guam received the USS Minnesota (SSN-783) on Tuesday, marking the first forward deployment of a Virginia-class nuclear attack submarine to the strategically positioned American territory in the Indo-Pacific.
Minnesota’s arrival is part of the Navy’s “strategic laydown plan” across the region, which will see the service “station the most capable units forward.”
“This posture allows flexibility for maritime and joint force operations, with forward-deployed units ready to rapidly respond to deter aggression and promote a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region,” reads a Navy press release.
The Virginia class joins four older Los Angeles-class nuclear fast attack boats — USS Asheville (SSN-758), USS Jefferson City (SSN-759), USS Annapolis (SSN-760) and USS Springfield (SSN-761) — in Submarine Squadron 15 at Naval Base Guam. Guam is also the home port of the Navy’s only submarine tenders, USS Emory S. Land (AS-39) and USS Frank Cable (AS-40). Plans to increase the base’s submarine maintenance and training capabilities were announced two years ago in an attempt by the service to hedge against the numerically superior People’s Liberation Army Navy fleet. The Navy described the presence of these submarines as the “tip of the spear.”
“Minnesota is composed of exemplary individuals who represent some of our brightest sailors in the Fleet. They’re eager to get out into the local community and stand ready to contribute to our strategic objectives and maintain warfighting readiness in the Pacific,” Cmdr. Isaac Pelt, commanding officer of the Minnesota, said in a press release.
Guam’s importance in American force posture in the Indo-Pacific has been highlighted in recent years with calls for more basing and air defenses on the strategic island. Anderson Air Base has long acted as a hub for American aerial operations across the region. Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz was activated last January and is set to host 5,000 Marines in the coming years.
In order to protect these installations from air and missile threats, particularly from China and North Korea, an advanced air defense network, dubbed the Guam Defense System, is slated to be completed in the 2030s and provide 360-degree coverage of the island.
