British Royal Navy Joins U.S. Navy in More Nuclear Saber Rattling

Dec. 14, 2022 (EIRNS)—The U.S. has engaged in more nuclear saber rattling, this time joined by His Majesty’s Royal Navy. The USS Tennessee nuclear ballistic missile submarine joined a similar Vanguard class submarine of the Royal Navy—not named—for a photo op somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. The photo also shows a U.S. Navy E-6B Mercury nuclear command and control aircraft making a low pass overhead along with an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter. The subs and aircraft “conducted bi-lateral at sea training designed to validate tactics, techniques, and procedures which strengthens the relationship between uniquely close Allies in support of deterrence and collective security,” reported the Defense Department release on the show of force. “The United States and the United Kingdom have a long-standing agreement of cooperation in the development and deployment of strategic weapons and supporting system.”

The Pentagon’s release is actually dated Nov. 22, but it apparently went largely unnoticed until the UK Defence Journal called attention to it on Dec. 13. “This is just the latest example this year of a highly unusual disclosure related to the Navy’s 14 Ohio class ballistic missile submarines,” writes the War Zone’s Joseph Trevithick. On Oct. 19, U.S. Central Command announced that Centcom Chief Gen. Michael Kurilla had toured the USS West Virginia somewhere in the Arabian Sea. This was followed by a port visit to the British naval base at Diego Garcia on Oct. 25-31, though that was not announced until Nov. 28. On Nov. 1, the USS Rhode Island, another ballistic missile submarine, sailed into Gibraltar, another overseas British naval base, for a port visit, following a July visit to the British submarine base in Faslane, Scotland.