The U.S. Navy is now considering homeporting three more nuclear Los Angeles class fast-attack submarines on Guam.
Lt. William Willis supply officer for Submarine Squadron 15 told the Journal “The Navy is reviewing the possibility of three more submarines down the road.” Details of when or which submarines will join the three assigned to Guam are not yet available.
The Navy has confirmed to the Journal that the third submarine the USS Houston will arrive in Guam in mid-December. Willis said the USS Houston has a crew of 150 personnel and officers. With the Houston the number of Submarine Squadron 15 personnel on Guam will swell to about 1 550. Accompanying family members of the crew of the Houston are estimated to number 200 to 300. The Houston will be based at Polaris Point with the USS City of Corpus Christi USS San Francisco and the submarine tender ship USS Frank Cable. The Frank Cable support vessel for the submarines finished on May 5 a $50 million maintenance at Guam Shipyard’s floating dry dock and is now scheduled for sea trials.
The first of these submarines arrived on Guam in October 2002. Since then the Corpus Christi has deployed twice. It also conducted officer training operations completed a major equipment upgrade in Pearl Harbor Hawaii and numerous local training operations.
USS City of Corpus Christi |
The San Francisco arrived in December 2002. Since then it has participated in a Ship Antisubmarine Warfare Readiness Effectiveness Measuring Exercise several local training operations and also completed a major equipment upgrade in Hawaii. It is now in San Diego undergoing and completing an extensive planned maintenance.
Both submarine units took part in cleanup efforts after Supertyphoon Pongsona hit Guam on Dec. 8 2002 and were awarded Humanitarian Service Medals for their contributions. MBJ
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