According to Yonhap News Agency, one of the United States’ latest nuclear submarines arrived at a South Korean naval base on Monday.
The agency reported: “On September 23, the USS Vermont nuclear submarine entered the Busan combat base.”
Kyongyang News Agency pointed out that this was the first time that the newest nuclear submarine of the US Navy, which entered service in 2020, entered the port. The submarine entered the South Korean port to replenish military reserves and allow the crew to rest for a while “during regional operations.” During the submarine’s visit to the port, the South Korean Navy Operations Command plans to conduct exchanges with submarine crew members and “strengthen joint defense preparations .”
Unlike the Ohio-class strategic nuclear submarines, the Virginia-class USS Vermont does not carry ballistic missiles equipped with nuclear warheads, but is equipped with 12 Tomahawk cruise missiles. This is the type of submarine that the Australian, British, and American AUKUS alliance plans to build and put into service for Australia from the early 2030s.
Earlier, Bloomberg reported that the United States plans to equip submarines with new Tomahawk anti-ship cruise missiles starting October 1 this year to strengthen its ability to counter the Chinese Navy. The Los Angeles-class and Virginia-class submarines will be equipped with this missile, and some upgraded Virginia-class submarines can carry up to 40 missiles.
Meanwhile, in March this year, Western media reported that the United States was cutting key submarine orders for 2025. In fiscal year 2025, the U.S. Department of Defense will only purchase one Virginia-class submarine, two fewer than in recent years. In addition, the U.S. Navy has decided to postpone the implementation of the plan to manufacture the latest SSN (X) attack nuclear submarine by 10 years, starting research and development in the early 2040s. The U.S. side said the main reason for the delay in the implementation of the plan was limited budget, and existing and near-term operations must be funded first.
