The most advanced attack submarine of the U.S. Navy is prowling the seas of the Barents and Norway. Even the Russian navy is not at ease. One of the places the sea wolf class lies in wait is on the Kola Peninsula watching over the activities of the Russian Navy.
Submarine operations are the most shadowy services in the navy, even where subs surface is a closely guarded secret. Known only to a few, seeing it surface, especially this attack class sub makes it a rare occasion.
The vessel doesn't come with a cheap price tag, with only three of the original 29 that was planned. Each one costs about $3 billion that comes with all features that make it a fearsome weapon, reported The Barents Observer.
The naval base at Bangor located on the west coast of the U.S is the homeport. On this occasion, the nuclear power attack submarine just appeared in Tromsø in the North of Norway. This is much farther than its pacific destination.
Its location for the surfacing is in a narrow channel with high mountain ranges on the coast that conceals the sub. This covered location is right for crew changes and getting resupply from Norwegian Coast Guard or Navy ships. In Tromsø there is an airport, and development as well.
One of the entry points to the Bear Gap that is a few hours away is the place where Russian subs enter the deep Norwegian Sea. NATO considers it crucial to keep tabs on the Soviets, this area is a line that is between the North Cape via the Bear Island until the tip on the Southern Spitsbergen. Subs that enter this part of the Norwegian Sea will be hard to detect than in the Barents.
USS Seawolf is a design of the Cold War that can dive deeper than most attack subs made to kill Russian ballistic missile subs in the Kola Peninsula. It has eight torpedo tubes with 50-capacity weapon storage, armed with a Tomahawk cruise missile.
Its length is 353-feet long and with a single nuclear reactor that powers it. A total of 45,000 horsepower or (34 Megawatts), crewed by 14 officers and 126 enlisted sailors are onboard the Seawolf.
The attack sub is with the U.S. 6th fleet as the overseer of all U.S. naval operations from Europe to Africa.
According to Vice-Admiral Daryl Caudle, Commander of the Submarine Forces has made public the surfacing of the ship outside of Tromsø. A move geared to show how far the U.S. submarine force can project U.S. interests anywhere in the world.
Announcing the surfacing outside Tromsø, Commander of the Submarine Forces, Vice-Admiral Daryl Caudle said USS Seawolf demonstrates the global reach of the undersea forces and its unique readiness to execute worldwide and unrivaled readiness, confirmed The Drive.
The Vice-Admiral added that the American sub-warriors are the best and with equipment to carry out the objective of the U.S. Navy.
When the most advanced American attack submarine surfaced at Tromsø, overhead was six U.S. B-52 long-range bombers in the Arctic. Accompanying them were Norwegian F-16s from Bodø airbase.
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