Navy SEALs and Nuclear Submarine in Pacific Drill
The Naval Special Warfare (NSW) community is anticipated to play a more significant role in potential conflicts with China or Russia than it did during the Global War on Terror (GWOT). Recent training exercises involving Navy SEALs and the USS Greeneville, a Los Angeles-class attack submarine, underscore this shift. The drills, conducted off the coast of Southern California, aimed to enhance fleet interoperability and warfighting capabilities in the maritime domain.
Submarine operations provide a clandestine means to transport small teams of special operators close to targets, offering advantages in reconnaissance, direct action raids, sabotage operations, and personnel recovery. These exercises are designed to prepare for scenarios where the US military might need to operate behind enemy lines, imposing significant costs on adversaries through rapidly deployable and potentially deniable forces. The use of submarines in such operations ensures secrecy and security, which are critical in highly contested waters.
The collaboration between NSW operators and submarine crews is part of a broader strategy to enhance maritime domain awareness and operational readiness. This includes investing in new technologies and improving coordination and intelligence sharing with global partners. As tensions with China and Russia persist, the Navy continues to expand its capabilities to deter potential aggression and ensure readiness for any conflict.
