MOSCOW, August 1 The US Navy nuclear submarine Minnesota is being relocated from Hawaii to the island of Guam in the western Pacific Ocean — allegedly due to the buildup of naval forces in China, Newsweek reports, citing sources in the the American Navy.
«The United States will soon renew its submarine fleet in a critical military hub in the Western Pacific, a decision that comes as China's naval forces are rapidly building up… The nuclear-powered but conventionally armed Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Minnesota will switch its home port from Hawaii to Guam in the new fiscal year that begins Oct. 1,» the publication writes, citing a spokesman for the top submarine adviser to US Pacific Fleet Commander Rick Moore.
It is noted that the named submarine will be the first vessel of its class to be permanently based in Guam. As the publication points out, currently, four Los Angeles-class submarines are assigned to Submarine Squadron 15 at the Guam Naval Base, which will later be replaced by the more modern Virginia-class.
«China is seriously concerned that the US is stepping up its forward military deployment in the Asia-Pacific region to achieve unilateral military advantage… We urge the US to sincerely respect the security interests of other countries and stop provoking confrontation and escalating tensions,» Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in the US, told the publication.
Earlier, the New York Times, citing several unnamed Chinese military strategists, reported that the United States is actively building military bases near China in order to keep Chinese naval forces behind the «first island chain» located near the Asian mainland in the event of a potential conflict in the region.