US nuclear submarine spotted in China's backyard Photo

The United States has deployed the USS Ohio, a nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine armed with over 100 long-range Tomahawk missiles, to the Western Pacific amid China's accelerating naval expansion.

According to US Submarine Group Seven, which oversees operations in the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Arabian Sea, the deployment signals Washington’s continued commitment to the Indo-Pacific region. The American Newsweek publication has published photos that have been released this week, depicting the Ohio arriving at Naval Base Guam on April 23. Guam, a key US military outpost almost 3,000 kilometres from China, serves as a central hub for projecting power across the Pacific.

As part of the US containment strategy, Guam sits within the Second Island Chain—a defensive line of US-aligned territories aimed at limiting China’s naval access to the open Pacific.

According to the article, Ohio is one of four Ohio-class guided-missile submarines, alongside the Michigan, Florida, and Georgia, converted from ballistic missile subs to carry up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles. These stealthy vessels can strike land targets with precision from up to 1,600 kilometres away and support special operations, carrying as many as 66 personnel and their gear.

As the publication points out, China’s navy, now the world’s largest by ship count with more than 370 vessels—including 12 nuclear-powered and 48 diesel-electric submarines—has prioritized modernizing its submarine fleet, the Pentagon noted in a recent report.

The Ohio, homeported in Bangor, Washington, was described as conducting "routine operations" within the US Seventh Fleet’s area of responsibility, which spans the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans. The submarine was still in Guam as of May 6, when it joined a drill with the US Marine Corps focused on providing flexible, forward-deployed response options.

In a response to Newsweek, Submarine Group Seven highlighted the unique role of the Ohio-class fleet, calling them “stealth, clandestine platforms” that offer unmatched strike and special operations capabilities and are ready to deploy globally at any time.

Ship-tracking sources noted the Ohio left its homeport in late February, stopping in Hawaii before heading to Guam in early April. This is the third such deployment of an Ohio-class guided-missile submarine to the region in less than a year. Florida and Michigan made similar appearances in July and November 2024, respectively.

The article highlights that it remains unclear whether Ohio will stay in the Western Pacific or head toward the Middle East to reinforce US naval forces there.

By Nazrin Sadigova