British and American Nuclear Submarines Appear in Gibraltar

Two nuclear submarines have made surprise appearances in Gibraltar. The Royal Navy’s HMS Anson arrived in Gibraltar days after an American nuclear submarine that was thought to be USS Alaska made a brief stop in the British overseas territory.

The Royal Navy’s Astute Class nuclear attack submarine HMS Anson (S124), which left Faslane on January 10 for an extended duration deployment to HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, was seen docking back in Gibraltar on May 14. After its outward journey, Anson arrived in Australia on February 23, and conducted a planned Submarine Maintenance Period to familiarize the local support and logistics organization with requirements that will become routine when Astute Class and later AUKUS submarines are permanently based at HMAS Stirling.
HMS Anson, which was seen loading Tomahawk cruise missiles in Gibraltar on its way out to Australia, is believed to have cut short its planned activities in the South East Asian theater to redeploy to the Arabian Sea in a passive role as the war in the Gulf developed.

HMS Anson comes into HMAS Stirling in Perth, Australia, on February, 23 (Royal Australian Navy)

As always, the UK Ministry of Defence did not give any indication of where or what the submarine has been up to, nor why she has been brought back to home waters. But the Russian underwater threat in the Greenland-Iceland-UK sea area remains heightened, and she may also be needed as part of the forthcoming HMS Prince of Wales (R09) Carrier Strike Group deployment to the High North.

Notwithstanding intense pressure from the First Sea Lord, HMS Anson remains the only operational boat in the Astute Class fleet, although a second boat is believed to be approaching the end of its period in maintenance.

Another surprise appearance in Gibraltar has been a US Navy Ohio Class ballistic missile submarine, tentatively identified as USS Alaska (SSBN-732). The submarine made a brief stop at Gibraltar, and is now believed to be proceeding through the Strait into the Mediterranean. It is most unusual for a “bomber” to be unmasked, as is a deployment into the Mediterranean. The submarine’s deployment appears to have been supported by the rare forward positioning from Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, of a US Navy E-6A Mercury nuclear communications aircraft. Aside from the risk of intensified tension or renewed conflict in the Middle East, the appearance of USS Alaska in Gibraltar may also be connected to the restrictions the Spanish government has imposed recently over U.S. force deployments, and a demonstration that the United States has freedom of maneuver alternatives to Naval Station Rota and facilities elsewhere in Spain.