The US Navy’s USS Delaware, a Virginia-class fast-attack submarine, completed a routine port visit in Grøtsund, Norway, on September 7, as Washington and Oslo strengthen naval cooperation in the strategically important High North.
During the visit, senior US 6th Fleet and Norwegian officials toured the submarine and met with its crew, according to the US Navy.
Rear Adm. John W. Stafford, commander of Task Force 169, said operations in the High North and Norwegian Sea are increasingly important to maritime security and the defence of both Europe and the US.
“Operations in the strategic gateways of the High North and Norwegian Sea are of paramount importance to maritime security, both for the defense of Europe and the defense of the U.S. homeland,” Stafford said.
He said deploying US undersea forces alongside allied capabilities helps improve interoperability and strengthens deterrence across the region.
The Delaware’s visit forms part of wider US efforts to maintain a naval presence stretching from the Arctic to the Atlantic. The Navy says its submarines routinely operate in the region to improve maritime awareness, support freedom of manoeuvre and navigation, and respond to potential threats.
Virginia-class attack submarines are designed for a wide range of missions, including anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, strike operations, special operations and deterrence. They can also deploy special operations forces and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The US 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts naval and joint operations across Europe and Africa in coordination with allied and interagency partners.
The port visit comes as the High North and Norwegian Sea remain important areas for US and European maritime security, particularly because of their role as strategic approaches between the Arctic and North Atlantic.
Source: FSX Business News