Undersea Deterrence: Pentagon Bases Virginia-Attack Submarine in Guam

By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News  

  The US has taken another step in its strategic buildup in the Pacific as it seeks to counter China. 

    For the first time, a Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine will be homeported in Guam, the site of one of the Navy’s largest ammunition and fuel storage facilities in the region. The USS Minnesota arrived in Guam on Nov. 26. 

   “The security environment in the Indo-Pacific requires that the US Navy station the most capable units forward,” the Navy said in a press release. “This posture allows flexibility for maritime and joint force operations, with forward-deployed units ready to rapidly respond to deter aggression and promote a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.” 

   The Minnesota was commissioned eleven years ago. It was tenth Virginia-class submarine, the Navy’s next-gen sub which are designed to replace Los Angeles-class vessels as they are taken out of service. There are currently four Los Angeles-class submarines based in Guam. 

   Guam is a crucial outpost for US power-projection in the Indo-Pacific – it’s the country’s westernmost Pacific island territory, and is closer to Beijing than to Hawaii. That puts it within striking distance of a number of Chinese military bases including some in the South China Sea. 

   The US is in the midst of a military buildup on Guam, which includes $10 billion in construction projects through 2028. In 2023, the Marines opened a new base there that will eventually house 4,000 Marines.   

    As for Virginia-class submarines, they were developed to perform a greater range of missions, including anti-submarine and anti-surface ship warfare, intelligence gathering, reconnaissance and surveillance. A Navy description of the vessel make it clear there is an emphasis on littoral operations (those in shallow waters near the shore, which include supporting special operations missions).