Gibraltar press does not usually publish news about US submarines arrival or presence at The Rock.
Military escalation continues on the Rock with another submersible due at the weekend.
A US Ohio-class submarine with intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads is expected to arrive in Gibraltar tomorrow (Wednesday). A second submarine, in this case British, could also dock at the weekend, which would confirm the military escalation that has focused on Gibraltar since negotiations with the EU began.
The US submarine expected in Gibraltar tomorrow is the USS Georgia, of the Ohio class, equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The previous presence in Gibraltar of a US nuclear submarine of the Ohio class was the USS Alaska (SSBN-732), which arrived on 28 June last year and remained semi-hidden behind a line of floating containers in the harbour until 1 July, as reported by Gibraltar News at the time and can be read here.
The arrival of a second submarine, in this case British, is also possible for the weekend, although this media has not been able to confirm this.
Nuclear submarines are weapons whose fundamental mission is to remain hidden and their presence in any port can only be for the purpose of carrying out repairs, personnel rotation or embarkation, or public display. In this case, there is no record of any rotation of personnel, so it can only be for repairs or a public display, or even a combination of the latter two, as it is used for some minor maintenance or repair work while the flag and the weapon are displayed in the chosen port.
MILITARY ESCALATION IN GIBRALTAR
The military escalation on the Rock, which clearly intensified following Brexit and, in particular, in parallel to the negotiations, first with Spain to lead to the New Year's Eve Agreement and, now, with the European Union, to decide the future status of Gibraltar, continues in this way.
In fact, the city of Gibraltar is currently undergoing its third military manoeuvres so far this year, practically one per month, during which Gibraltarians can see uniformed soldiers in the streets, fully equipped and carrying their regulation (unloaded) weapons, as already reported in this newspaper and as can be read here.
As is well known, negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union to reach some kind of agreement on Gibraltar should have been concluded at the end of last year and were extended until Easter, but there is no news so far that an agreement is close.
