US nuclear submarine deterrence against China

In response to Beijing's repeated missile tests in 2010, Washington sent three nuclear submarines to surface simultaneously in the waters around the country.

The submarine USS Ohio patrols the Pacific Ocean. Photo: Wikipedia.

To deter its enemies, the US often shows off its strength with strategic bombers. However, in 2010, the US made an unusual move by letting three nuclear submarines carrying cruise missiles surface at the same time in the waters around China to send a strong deterrent message to this country, according to War Is Boring.

Forrest Morgan, an analyst at the RAND Corporation, said that heavy bombers are one of the best weapons for “crisis stabilization.” It is a powerful way to show off military power and send a message, allowing a country to avoid the risk of war without making concessions to its opponents.

Meanwhile, the US Navy’s cruise missile submarines are ineffective tools for stabilizing crises, because they are always hidden in the ocean, even counterproductive and contribute to further instability. However, the simultaneous emergence of many US Navy Ohio-class nuclear submarines around China has brought unexpected effectiveness, contributing to helping Washington resolve the crisis with Beijing.

In July 2010, after China conducted consecutive missile tests in the East China Sea, three Ohio-class submarines, including the USS Michigan in Pusan, South Korea, the USS Ohio in Subic Bay, Philippines, and the USS Florida off the strategic outpost of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, suddenly surfaced simultaneously.

The public appearance of these three strategic submarines not only represents an increase in US submarine activity in East Asia, but also carries a strong message of deterrence.

Three submarines surfaced together despite being thousands of kilometers apart. Photo: Wikipedia.

The three submarines carry a total of 462 Tomahawk cruise missiles with a maximum range of 2,500 km. They help increase the Tomahawk missile strike force of the entire Japan-based 7th Fleet, the core force for projecting US power in East Asia, by 60%.

A former US defense attaché with close ties to both countries’ leaders said the 462 Tomahawk cruise missiles were a more powerful deterrent than any words. The simultaneous surfacing of the submarines showed that the US had the ability to attack China from multiple directions without being detected.

"This underscores Washington's determination to maintain military dominance in Asia, which is also a message to all countries in the region, not just Beijing," the attaché said.

According to VNE