The United States has ordered a nuclear-powered submarine armed with more than 150 missiles to the Middle East, in addition to a second aircraft carrier, the U.S. Department of Defense announced on Sunday. The move comes amid escalating regional tensions as Iran has vowed to strike back at Israel.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday, the Pentagon said. Austin reiterated Washington's commitment to defend Israel in the call, including his latest order for the guided-missile submarine USS Georgia to head to the Middle East.
The assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital of Tehran on July 31 has escalated tensions in the region. Both Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of assassinating Haniyeh in a military guesthouse in Tehran. However, Israeli officials have neither confirmed nor denied responsibility.
The conventionally armed 18,750-ton Ohio-class submarine can carry up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles. This type of missile is the primary weapon of the Navy's fleet for long-range strike missions, capable of attacking targets on both land and sea from 1,000 miles away.
The Georgia is one of the four Ohio-class boats converted from nuclear ballistic missile submarines. Its sister ship USS Florida, also stationed at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia, ended a 727-day deployment last month that saw it fire missiles in the Middle East.
In addition to Tomahawk missiles, the Georgia can support special operation forces by hosting up to 66 personnel and accommodating their equipment. The Navy said this type of submarine is a stealthy, clandestine platform with unprecedented strike and special operations mission capabilities.
The Georgia was spotted in Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete on August 5, according to ship spotters. The U.S. Sixth Fleet confirmed the submarine was on a "routine deployment" to the Fleet's area of operations in the European waters.
It said the Georgia concluded interoperability training with the U.S. Marine Corps and special operations forces in the Mediterranean Sea. The training began as early as July 17, according to the Navy's photos. The Marines conducted dive training out of the Georgia's dry deck shelter.
"While in Sixth Fleet, USS Georgia is assigned to Commander, Task Force 69, to conduct routine operations and ensure global access, security, and stability in the maritime domain," a U.S. Sixth Fleet spokesperson told Newsweek, before the latest Pentagon announcement.
It was not immediately clear when the Georgia would arrive at the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility, which oversees military operations in the Middle East. In April and November last year, the Navy publicized the transit of the Suez Canal in Egypt by the Florida as a show of force.
The Pentagon said Defense Secretary Austin has ordered the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to accelerate its transit to the Middle East. The carrier departed Guam on Thursday after a four-day visit to the island in the Western Pacific Ocean and joined the Italian Cavour carrier strike group the following day.
The Pentagon statement said the Abraham Lincoln, which has approximately 60 aircraft that include the advanced stealthy F-35C fighter jets, would add to the capabilities already provided by its sister ship, USS Theodore Roosevelt. The latter is currently on station in the Middle East.
It was announced on August 2 that the Abraham Lincoln would deploy to the Middle East, but the statement at that time said the carrier would "replace" the Theodore Roosevelt. However, the latest announcement hinted at possible dual carrier operations in the region by both American "flat-tops."
At least two groups of U.S. fighter jet reinforcements have landed in the Middle East recently, including the Navy's F/A-18 and the Air Force's stealthy F-22. The U.S. Central Command said they were used to "mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or its proxies."
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