The Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered fast attack submarines were designed to thwart Soviet submarines.
The United States has deployed one of its nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines to the southern Caribbean as part of the White House’s ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking in the region. USS Newport News is expected to arrive off the coast of Venezuela in the upcoming days, along with a cohort of other US Navy vessels. Additionally, the two Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Groups, made up of the assault ship USS Iwo Jima, the amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio, and the USS Fort Lauderdale landing ship, arrived in the Caribbean waters earlier this month. The United States has also dispatched three destroyers, USS Gravely, USS Sampson, and USS Jason Dunham to the scene.
The Trump administration issued an executive order (EO) aimed at dismantling drug cartels back in January. As detailed in the EO, “The Cartels’ activities threaten the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere. Their activities, proximity to, and incursions into the physical territory of the United States pose an unacceptable national security risk to the United States.” The deployment of naval warships is meant to contribute to this strategy of curbing drug trafficking routes into America.
USS Newport News and the Los Angeles-class Submarine
USS Newport News (SSN-750) was commissioned in 1989 and has served the Navy honorably ever since. The Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered fast attack submarines were designed during the Cold War to effectively thwart the Soviet Union’s advancements in submarine technology. Specifically, the United States required a new platform capable of better defending the Navy’s carrier battle groups. The resulting Los Angeles-class warships were constructed in three successive flights. USS Newport News was designed in the Flight II block, which emphasized greater firepower. The Los Angeles submarines were notably 50 percent larger than their Sturgeon-class predecessors and featured greater stealth and speed when introduced. In all, the Los Angeles vessels specialize in versatility, including surface warfare, undersea warfare, mining operations, reconnaissance, special forces delivery, intelligence, and carrier battle group support. Powered by the General Electric S6G pressurized water reactor, the Los Angeles submarines are able to travel at speeds in excess of 25 knots. However, it is rumored that these formidable warships can actually sail at much faster speeds.
As mentioned previously, the United States has also dispatched a slew of other warships to the Caribbean waters in order to counter drug trafficking. Earlier this summer, Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Gravely participated in a major drug bust in these waters, resulting in the seizure of roughly $14 million in cocaine. In a statement issued by the US 2nd Fleet, “The team discovered and seized 19 bales of cocaine, with an approximate weight of 860 pounds and an estimated value of $13,650,000. U.S. Navy forces are deployed under U.S. Northern Command’s maritime homeland defense authorities with a LEDET embarked to enable maritime interdiction missions to prevent the flow of illegal drugs and other illegal activity.”
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has bylines in many publications, including The National Interest, The Jerusalem Post, and The Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
