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The US Navy has confirmed that a US guided-missile submarine participated in joint training exercises with American and allied forces in the Mediterranean as part of a broader military buildup in the Middle East. This move comes amid rising concerns over a potential conflict between Iran and Israel.
What’s the deal: According to the US Navy, the USS Georgia, a guided missile submarine, recently conducted training exercises in the Mediterranean Sea. These drills included collaboration with US Reconnaissance Marines, special operations forces, and military units from the UK, Norway, and Italy. The focus was on integrating amphibious and special warfare capabilities, including launching and recovering small craft, executing combined arms attacks, personnel recovery, and undersea warfare.
What the Navy is saying: In a statement, Capt. Benjamin Selph, Commander of Task Force 69, said, “As our submarine force continues to develop its diverse mission sets, we strengthen our ability to deter threats and ensure global access, security, and stability in the maritime domain. Integration with joint and allied partners enhances our lethality as apex predators against hard targets in the US Sixth Fleet area of operations.”
Digging Deeper: The confirmation of the USS Georgia in the region is notable because submarine operations are typically kept confidential, especially in the Middle East, where tensions are escalating between Israel, Iran, and its proxies. These tensions have intensified following the killing of a top Hamas official in Tehran, which Iran blames Israel for, prompting threats of retaliation from Iran and its allies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen. In response, the US has significantly increased its military presence in the region. Some defense analysts have indicated that the disclosure of the USS Georgia in the region is a “clear signal” to Iran and its proxies that are reportedly planning to launch attacks against Israel.
More on the USS Georgia: The USS Georgia, commissioned in February 1984, is an Ohio-class guided-missile submarine that was originally constructed as a ballistic missile submarine before being converted to carry guided missiles in 2008. It is capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles. In addition to its missile capabilities, the submarine is equipped with Mk48 torpedoes for anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare, and it features advanced systems for intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
