Frequent Submarine Calls in Tromsø – New US Nuclear Submarine on Logistical Stop

Norwegian version.

On Monday, an American nuclear submarine docked at the Port of Grøtsund, just north of the city of Tromsø in Northern Norway, according to the Norwegian Joint Headquarters.

The US Embassy in Oslo, Norway, later on informs High North News that the submarine is USS Washington (SSN 787).

This is the seventh American and eighth allied submarine call at Grøtsund this year.

The call occurred shortly after a visit from the American submarine USS Florida (which arrived on September 14th) and the French nuclear submarine FNS Améthyste (arrival date September 21st).

Apparently, the USS Washington is there for a longer visit as there is currently a ban on all civilian flights in the Grøtsund area until Sunday, October 15th. 

Do you have any comments on these frequent American port calls at Grøtsund? Does this increased submarine activity occur in light of changed Russian military activity? 

“Submarine visits are part of the United States’ long-standing partnership with Norway to ensure stability in the Arctic region,” replies a spokesperson at the aforementioned US embassy to HNN. 

In the Port of Breivika, Tromsø, there is also an American presence: The US Coast Guard’s cutter USCGC Healy is docked there after arriving on Sunday.

Support for Norway in tense times

Last week, a military attachè at France's embassy in Oslo spoke about the aforementioned submarine's visit to Tromsø – together with the French military support vessel FS Garonne. This was the first known French submarine call at Grøtsund.

This week, a supplementary response to High North News' questions came from the French Armed Forces, État-major des armées.

"Garonne patrolled the Norwegian Sea on its way to Tromsø, where it had a stopover from September 21st to the 25th. She joined the nuclear-powered attack submarine  Améthyste, also on operational standby at high altitudes near the Arctic Circle," writes Ètat-major des armèes and continues:

"This maneuver provided the opportunity to test Garonne's operational robustness by making a logistical stopover – and to confirm France's support for Norway in view of the growing geopolitical stakes in the Far North. The regular deployments of Armed Forces vessels in this zone are of strategic importance, given the geopolitical and environmental issues involved. They guarantee France and its allies a capacity for intervention and independent assessment of the situation."

Call overview

Since Grøtsund became the receiving port for allied reactor-powered vessels in 2020, American nuclear submarines have visited the port 14 times – seven of which were this year:

• USS New Mexico (SSN 779), Virginia class – May 2021
• USS Washington (SSN 787), Virginia class – January 2022
• USS Albany (SSN 753), Los Angeles class – April 2022
• USS North Dakota (SSN 784), Virginia class – Mai 2022
• Unknown American submarine – July 2022
• USS Newport News (SSN 750), Los Angeles class – Fall 2022
• USS New Hampshire (SSN 778), Virginia class – Fall 2022
• USS South Dakota (SSN 790), Virginia class – December 2022
• Unknown American submarine – April 2023
• Unknown American submarine – June 2023
• Unknown American submarine – July 2023
• Unknown American submarine – August 2023
• USS Florida (SSGN 728), Ohio class – September 2023
• Unknown American submarine – October 2023

Other known allied submarine calls at Grøtsund: The aforementioned French FNS Améthyste and the British nuclear submarine HMS Ambush in April 2022.

The article has been updated with new information.