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WATCH: Rare Video Of US Nuclear Submarine Released By Pentagon
SSBNs are showing up more often than before as a message to China
The United States Navy’s Submarine Force is one of the world's most elite and secretive military services. The United States operates dozens of submarines, including fast attack subs and the dreaded ballistic missile submarines. The ballistic missile subs (SSBNs), also known as boomers, are part of America’s nuclear triad. These subs are supposed to slink invisibly around the world, loaded, or not loaded, with nuclear weapons at any given time. The idea is that in the event of a massive war or nuclear strike, a submarine could fire a load of nuclear missiles from any ocean in the world and strike any target on Earth.
One of the biggest parts of the ballistic missile submarine’s mystique is the fact that they are rarely seen. But that is changing. Recently, the Pentagon has seen fit to make these potent weapon platforms more visible. And this effort seems to be aimed directly at China.
In April of 2023, President Biden announced that one of these boomers would be making an appearance in South Korea. The reason given was to deter North Korean nuclear aggression, but it is also a strong message to neighboring China as well.
