【U.S. Navy Permanently Deploys Attack Submarine USS Tucson to Guam】
According to a report published on the Military Watch Magazine website on July 13, 2026: The U.S. Navy has permanently relocated the Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Tucson from its original homeport at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to Naval Base Guam. This move is part of a broader U.S. strategy aimed at strengthening active underwater military presence in the Western Pacific region targeting China. The submarine arrived at Apra Harbor on July 10, taking over from the USS Jefferson City, which had returned to Pearl Harbor. This relocation significantly enhances U.S. naval operational posture, as Guam occupies one of the most strategically vital nodes in the Pacific—just 2,700 kilometers from the Taiwan Strait and considerably closer to the South China Sea than Hawaii. Submarines based in Guam can reach potential operational areas several days earlier than those departing from Pearl Harbor or the U.S. West Coast.
The USS Tucson is a Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine equipped with 24 torpedo tubes and 12 dedicated vertical launch system cells for launching Tomahawk cruise missiles. Reduced transit time means submarines can spend a greater proportion of their deployment cycle conducting combat patrols rather than traveling to and from theaters of operation, thereby effectively expanding available combat forces during peacetime surveillance and wartime operations. This move also reflects the growing emphasis by the United States on the role of attack submarines in any potential future conflict with China. As surface vessels face increasing vulnerability to long-range anti-ship ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and comprehensive satellite surveillance, nuclear-powered attack submarines remain among the few platforms capable of operating deep within heavily defended waters.
In November 2024, as part of the broader U.S. military shift toward containing China, the U.S. Navy launched the first permanent forward deployment of a Virginia-class submarine to Guam. Regarding the decision to station Virginia-class submarines in Guam, the U.S. Navy stated in 2024: “The security environment in the Indo-Pacific demands that the U.S. Navy deploy its most capable forces forward. This posture provides flexibility for maritime and joint operations, enabling forward-deployed forces to respond rapidly at any time, deter aggression, and promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.” Thus, the change in the USS Tucson’s homeport constitutes a key component of a comprehensive reorganization of U.S. Pacific submarine basing infrastructure. In recent years, Submarine Squadron 15, based in Guam, has continued to expand, with more new Los Angeles-class submarines rotating into the island as the Navy seeks to maintain a permanently forward-stationed attack submarine force.
Complementing the expansion of attack submarine deployments in Guam, in June this year the U.S. Navy established a new submarine squadron at HMAS Stirling, the Royal Australian Navy's base in Western Australia. This marks another step in the U.S. military’s strategic pivot of nearly all attack submarine operations toward the Pacific theater. Based in Australia, this squadron establishes a new forward command node designed to support rotational submarine operations in coordination with the Royal Australian Navy and focus on the western Pacific region. A core mission of these deployed vessels will be to detect and destroy strategic ballistic missile submarines operated by China, North Korea, and Russia—such as China’s new Type 096 nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, which forms a critical component of each nation’s nuclear deterrent. This initiative will enable the U.S. to gain an "escalation dominance" advantage through its own more survivable nuclear forces. Additionally, special operations force insertion and merchant vessel interdiction are among the primary missions of such deployments.
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Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870567144645835/
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