The Virginia-class submarine USS New Mexico (SSN 779) concluded interoperability training with embarked Navy SEALs in the Mediterranean Sea, June 30, 2021. This milestone event, and proof-of-concept in theater, demonstrated the ability for submarines to seamlessly integrate SEALs into Navy missions in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations to ensure global access, security, and stability in the maritime domain. While underway, New Mexico’s crew and embarked SEALs rehearsed command and control architecture, staged equipment, and conducted diving operations utilizing the submarines large lock-in/lock-out chamber.
New Mexico is homeported in Groton, Conn. and is executing a routine deployment, conducting maritime security operations with allies and partners in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations. Early this year, New Mexico conducted a scheduled logistics visit to Tromso, Norway, during operations in the High North and participated in exercise Ragnar Viking. Ragnar Viking is a multilateral operational exercise that exhibits high-end NATO cohesion, solidarity, and credibility in the Norwegian, North, and Baltic Seas. The exercise demonstrated long-range strike capabilities from the North Atlantic into Lithuania, amphibious landings in Norway.
Demonstrating another increased capability in the region, Sailors aboard Los Angeles-class submarine USS Montpelier conducted an expeditionary ordnance on-load in Souda Bay, Greece, exercising the capability to load the MK 67 submarine launched mobile mine, June 22. Conducting an on load of this type, from Souda Bay’s strategic location in the Eastern Mediterranean, enables submarines to replenish or perform maintenance on their payloads while executing missions at sea. Submarines in U.S. Sixth Fleet work together with U.S. Navy, allied and partner ships and aircraft to provide multi-domain security and stability.
Dynamic Manta allowed San Juan to operate as part of the Allied theater anti submarine warfare team. San Juan is homeported in Groton, Connecticut and is on a routine deployment to the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations. While in U.S. Sixth Fleet, Commander, Task Force 69 is responsible for submarine warfare operations in Europe and Africa. U.S. Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.
