U.S. Nuclear Sub Makes First-Ever Port Call In Iceland

A U.S. Navy nuclear-powered submarine has made its first-ever port call in Iceland, a move that sends a strong strategic message to America’s adversaries, Adm. Stuart Munsch told Jake Epstein of Business Insider.

The U.S. views Iceland as a critical element in its Arctic strategy due to its geographic location. I Photo: Fabio Peña, U.S. Navy

The visit of the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Newport News comes amid rising concern over Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic. It marks the first time a U.S. nuclear sub has docked in Iceland, a founding NATO member that does not maintain its own military.

Speaking from Reykjavík, Munsch, who leads U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, said the visit “is important not only for the strategic signal it sends to adversaries about our presence in the area, but also for the reassurance it provides to U.S. allies.”

The U.S. views Iceland as a critical element in its Arctic strategy due to its geographic location. During the Cold War, the U.S. operated a major naval air base in the country, using it to track Soviet—and later Russian—submarine movements.

“The U.S., for many decades, maintained a naval air base here,” Munsch said, emphasizing Iceland’s role as a longstanding partner despite not having armed forces of its own.