by Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
The on-time-for-Christmas return of the USS Colorado Virginia-class attack submarine to Groton, Conn., from the Mediterranean raises interesting questions about the potential role of US Navy attack submarines related to current deterrence missions throughout the Middle East. The announcement of the return of the USS Colorado stationed in the Mediterranean, cited in a Navy essay, comes a few weeks after the US Navy published a photo of one of its attack submarines near the Suez canal in the Middle East.
It takes little imagination to recognize that torpedo and Tomahawk armed Virginia-class attack submarines could track and destroy Houthi and Iranian vessels and, if needed, destroy land targets with clandestine precision strikes. Operating in support of surface ships in the Eastern Mediterranean or Red Sea, attack submarines could likely approach high-risk, dangerous coastal areas inaccessible or too dangerous for large-draft surface ships.
The tactical and strategic foundation of such a mission is likely related to the Pentagon strong “deterrence” posture in the region, which has been to withhold large responsive attacks, yet ensure lethal forward presence to ensure adversaries are away of the US Navy’s ability to respond with destructive force. The aim of such a focus, as described by the Pentagon, has been to prevent the current Hamas-Israeli conflict from spreading into a wider conflict throughout the region.
Therefore, what kinds of missions did the deployed USS Colorado perform? Where did it operate after deploying from Rota, Spain? It is not likely to be accidental that there was and is no public information related to these kinds of questions, for understandable and obvious security reasons. The mission scope and precise locations are rarely if ever discussed by Senior Navy officials and weapons developers, yet the broad scope of operational possibilities for Virginia-class attack submarines has been massively expanding in recent years, given the scope of technological upgrades built into Block III and beyond Virginia-class attack submarines. The Block III attack submarines are engineered with a fiber-optic cable so seamen can view the periscope images from anywhere within the boat without having to “stand beneath” a periscope. They are also engineered with a Large Aperture Bow more sensitive sonar system and a computerized navigational system which can use automation to adjust depth, course and speed without needing hydraulic manual controls.
This kind of technological improvement in key areas such as surveillance, quieting, command and control and lethality expand the mission possibilities across the Middle East as torpedo and tomahawk armed attack submarines could search for surface ships, enemy submarines, mines and even key land targets with its Large Aperture Bow sonar array and Fly-by-Wire computerized navigation. Block III and beyond submarines also operate with new quieting technologies and communications gear intended to increase stealthy qualities and improve the range and fidelity of sensors and communications equipment.
Patrolling at most points anywhere across the Eastern half of the Mediterranean would place attack submarines well within striking distance of most of the Middle East, to include Iran.
It is entirely conceivable that heavily armed Virginia-class attack submarines could encircle the Arabian Peninsula from the Arabian Sea into the Persian Gulf and Red Sea all the way up to the Eastern Mediterranean. The 900-mile range, precision and ability to track and destroy moving targets would enable submarine-fired Tomahawk missiles to exact a large amount of destructive power from less-detectable undersea launch locations. Virginia-class attack submarines could attack Houthi targets with precision-strikes in Yemen, and Block IV Tomahawk missiles operate with a two-way datalink, drone-like loitering ability and a range of newer warheads and explosives. The most recent variants, such as the Tactical Tomahawk, can adjust course in flight to track and destroy moving targets as well. This could prove tactically relevant should groups of Houthi fighters be on the move to elude detection.
Special Operations Delivery
Virginia-class attack submarines are also increasingly able to transport and deploy small groups of Special Operators dispatched for clandestine surveillance, targeted attack missions or even hostage rescue. Virginia-class Block III submarines and beyond are built with a special compartment called a “lock-out-trunk” wherein Special Operators can load up with gear, be submerged in water beneath the hull of the boat and exit the submarine secretly and more quietly from beneath the surface of the ocean. While details or even the very existence of Special Operations missions are often “black” or kept secret, it is certainly within the realm of the theoretical that US Navy Seals could conduct clandestine scout, surveillance, search and rescue or even targeted strike missions along the coast of Hamas territory, Yemen or Iran from submarines.
Kris Osborn is the Defense Editor for the National Interest. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Master’s Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
