US Reveals Nuclear Submarine in China's Backyard
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The United States has deployed a nuclear-powered submarine, armed with over 100 long-range missiles, to the Western Pacific Ocean amid China's rapid naval fleet expansion.
The deployment of USS Ohio, a guided-missile submarine, reflected America's commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, the U.S. Submarine Group Seven, which commands submarines deployed in the Western Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Arabian Sea, told Newsweek.
Newsweek has also reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email.
Why It Matters
Photos released by the U.S. Submarine Group Seven on Tuesday show the Ohio arrived at Naval Base Guam on April 23. The island of Guam is home to several U.S. military bases, serving as a major staging area to project America's power against China, which is 1,800 miles away.
Under a U.S. containment strategy, Guam is part of the Second Island Chain, which aims to restrict China's naval access to the Pacific Ocean by leveraging U.S.-aligned territories.
The United States guided-missile submarine USS Ohio arrives at Naval Base Guam on April 23, 2025.
The United States guided-missile submarine USS Ohio arrives at Naval Base Guam on April 23, 2025.
Lt. James Caliva/U.S. Navy
What To Know
The Ohio is one of four U.S. Navy Ohio-class guided-missile submarines, along with USS Michigan, USS Florida, and USS Georgia. These submarines were converted from nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines to carry conventional Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Each of these submarines can be armed with up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, capable of hitting land targets precisely from 1,000 miles away. They are also designed to support special operation missions by accommodating up to 66 personnel and their equipment.
The Chinese navy—the largest in the world by hull count, with over 370 vessels, including 12 nuclear-powered submarines and 48 diesel-electric-powered submarines—has highly prioritized modernizing its submarine force, the Pentagon said in a report.
The missile-armed submarine, which is homeported in Bangor, Washington, was conducting what it called "routine operations" in the U.S. Seventh Fleet, according to a photo caption. The Fleet's area of operations covers both the Western Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean.
The submarine was still in Guam as of May 6, when it conducted an exercise with the U.S. Marine Corps at the base. The drill was part of ongoing efforts to provide "flexible, forward-postured, and quick-response options" to regional commanders, another photo caption read.
United States marines conduct an exercise aboard the guided-missile submarine USS Ohio at Naval Base Guam on May 6, 2025.
United States marines conduct an exercise aboard the guided-missile submarine USS Ohio at Naval Base Guam on May 6, 2025.
Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Henry Sohl/U.S. Navy
The Ohio and its sister ships provide "unprecedented strike and special operation mission capabilities" from a stealth, clandestine platform, the U.S. Submarine Group Seven said in response to a Newsweek inquiry, adding that they are ready to operate globally at any time.
According to ship spotters, the Ohio left its homeport in late February for a westward voyage to Hawaii. It set sail again in early April, departing from Pearl Harbor en route to Guam.
This marked the third deployment of an Ohio-class guided-missile submarine to the Western Pacific Ocean in less than a year. The Florida and the Michigan made port calls in Guam in early July and early November in 2024, respectively, Newsweek previously reported.
While the Michigan shares its homeport with the Ohio, the Florida and the Georgia are based out of Kings Bay in Georgia. A satellite image captured in mid-April appears to show the Georgia docked at the island of Diego Garcia, a remote U.S. base in the Indian Ocean.
🇺🇸NSF Diego Garcia🇺🇸
ho hum... 6x KC-135, 6x B-2 Spirit Stealth Bombers
More interesting though is the Ohio Class sub alongside at the bravo wharf - likely USS Georgia (SSGN 729)
📷 src: @SkyfiApp | @Satellogic
19 April 2025@Schizointel pic.twitter.com/PI2CiunWdX — MT Anderson (@MT_Anderson) April 28, 2025
What People Are Saying
The U.S. Navy said: "The [guided-missile submarine] is a key element of the Navy's future fighting force. With its tremendous payload capacity, dual crew deployment concept, and inherent stealth, each [guided-missile submarine] brings mission flexibility and enhanced capabilities to the warfighter."
The U.S. Submarine Group Seven said: "Submarine Group [Seven] will advance the interests of the United States and the security of prosperity of the region by effectively employing forward deployed, combat capable forces across the full spectrum of undersea warfare. We will endeavor to prevent conflict but remain prepared to win decisively."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether the Ohio will continue its deployment in the Western Pacific Ocean or transit toward the Middle East to supplement American naval forces in the region.
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File photo: Donald Trump shakes hands with Vladimir Putin (right) in Helsinki on July 16, It Matters The map presented by Kyiv shows territorial intentions far beyond the formal demands Moscow has made before it would agree to a ceasefire. But Trump has warned of further sanctions on Russia if it drags out peace negotiations. A bipartisan sanctions bill in the U.S. seeks to impose a 500-percent levy on imports from countries that buy Russian oil and raw materials. What To Know Palisa told reporters Thursday that Russia intends to capture all of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts by September 1 and create a buffer zone along the northern Ukrainian-Russian border by the end of this year. Palisa also said Moscow intended to occupy all of Ukraine on the east (left) bank of the Dnieper River and capture the regions of Odesa and Mykolaiv by the end of 2026, which would deprive Ukraine of access to the Black Sea. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) published a map Palisa had presented. It pointed to Moscow's plans to seize roughly 85,000 additional square miles of Ukrainian territory and hold a total of 129,000 square miles by the end of 2026, over half the total area of Ukraine. Yuriy Boyechko, founder of Hope for Ukraine, which helps those living on the front line, told Newsweek that Moscow will not stop its current offensive until December and warned that it will occupy new regions of Ukraine by the end of 2025. However, the Washington, D.C., think tank ISW said Friday that Russian forces are highly unlikely to be able to make the advances Palisa suggested in this time frame, given the current pace of Moscow's advances, and if Ukraine continues to receive Western aid. The ISW said that Palisa's map suggests Moscow will try to seize and leverage positions in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions to push on and capture all of Donetsk and Luhansk. This graphic from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) shows what Ukraine said on June 5 2025 are Russia's territorial expansion plans. This graphic from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) shows what Ukraine said on June 5 2025 are Russia's territorial expansion plans. Institute for the Study of War Russian forces would also purportedly try to seize Kherson Oblast and create a "buffer zone" along the border in northern Ukraine by the end of this year. But neither of these scenarios is likely in this period, the ISW said. In Donetsk, Russia had only advanced around 30 miles from the outskirts of Avdiivka in the last 15 months. Moscow would struggle to capture the rest of Kherson region, which required crossing the Dnieper River, the ISW added. But Russia's plans as described by Palisa far exceed Moscow's formal territorial demands it has made as terms to any ceasefire or long-term peace deal, which Trump has pushed for. U.S. Bipartisan Sanctions Bill The Wall Street Journal reported that the White House is trying to get Republican Senator Lindsey Graham to soften the "bone crushing" sanctions bill against Russia he introduced along with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal. However, Trump administration officials have called on Graham to water down the legislation, congressional aides told the WSJ by inserting waivers allowing Trump to choose which entities get sanctioned and changing the word "shall" to "may." Republican Senator Roger Wicker said on Wednesday said that Trump had asked the Senate to postpone voting on the bill, which, if implemented, would impose measures that include: a 500 percent tariff on imports from any country that buys Russian oil, gas, uranium and other products. the prohibition of any investments by U.S. financial institutions that benefit the Russian government. the prohibition on listing or trading of Russian entities on United States securities exchanges. sanctions on financial institutions linked to the Russian Government, such as the Russian Central Bank, and Russian banks. sanctions on Russian officials, including Putin, his cabinet ministers and military chiefs. Boyechko, from Hope for Ukraine, told Newsweek that tough U.S. sanctions were essential to maintaining American credibility, especially after what he described as a "complete disaster" for U.S. diplomacy in the past four months in which Putin ignored Trump's 30-day ceasefire proposal. "Putin used the four months of empty peace talks to regroup, and now the Russians have begun their summer offensive campaign, taking over 100 square kilometers [38 square miles] of new territory, including some villages in the Sumy region," Boyechko added. What People Are Saying Ukrainian Presidential Office Deputy Head Colonel Pavlo Palisa said Thursday: Russia's "plan for next year is to occupy the whole part of Ukraine which is situated on the left bank of the Dnieper River," and "occupy the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions to cut Ukraine's access to the Black Sea." President Donald Trump said about U.S. sanctions: "If I think Russia will not be making a deal or stopping the bloodshed … I'll use it if it's necessary." He added: "I'm OK with it. I haven't decided to use it. It's a very strong bill." Yuriy Boyechko, founder of Hope for Ukraine, told Newsweek: "Russians will not stop their offensive until November or December, so, unless the U.S. and Western allies get serious by applying severe sanctions and getting more weapons to Ukraine, we are looking at new regions of Ukraine occupied by Russians by the end of 2025." What Happens Next Regardless of the battlefield predictions made by Kyiv, all eyes will be on what Trump does regarding the U.S. bipartisan bill against Russia; Graham said it has the backing of 72 senators and sufficient support in the House of Representatives. .
