Tugboats guide the attack submarine USS Newport News away from the pier at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn., March 12, 2025. Newport News made a port call in Iceland on July 9, marking the first time a nuclear-powered submarine has visited Icelandic shores, the Navy said. (Joshua Karsten/U.S. Navy)
NAPLES, Italy — An American nuclear-powered submarine’s historic visit to Iceland on Wednesday sends a powerful message to Russia that some of the Navy’s most formidable vessels are protecting the High North, the service’s top commander in Europe and Africa said.
The attack submarine USS Newport News’ port call to Grundartangi also makes a visible statement to allies about U.S. commitment to collective defense and Arctic security, Adm. Stuart Munsch, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, said Wednesday.
Newport News is the first nuclear-powered submarine from any country to make a port call in Iceland, the Navy said.
The port call comes amid rising U.S. and NATO concerns about increased Russian and Chinese activity in a region rich with minerals, oil and gas. Rapid melting of sea ice also offers the possibility of new maritime trade routes in the High North.
Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and its behavior in places such as the Arctic have driven unity in NATO to a whole new level, Munsch said.
That commitment is evident in military exercises, operations and other activities that have put the U.S. and its allies in the bloc “in a position where we can deter the adversary and defend against them ... and it’s been effective,” Munsch said.
“Yes, the Russians are more active,” he said. “They’re doing new and different things, but so are we.”
The ability to make the port call to Iceland, which paves the way for visits by other warships, is part of the equation in ensuring the U.S. and NATO stay ahead of competitors, he added.
Cmdr. Eric McCay, the Newport News commanding officer, noted that in 36 years, the submarine had earned three Arctic Service Ribbons, an award recognizing service performed above the Arctic Circle.
The now-decommissioned attack submarine USS San Juan stops for supplies and personnel April 26, 2023, off the coast of Iceland accompanied by an Icelandic coast guard ship. (U.S. Embassy Reykjavik)
The visit was further demonstration of the submarine’s dedication to safeguarding the region, McCay said.
“It really underscores the deepening security cooperation between the U.S. and Iceland,” he said.
Iceland decided a little more than two years ago to allow U.S. nuclear-powered submarines to occasionally enter its waters for visits, with the assurance that the country and its territorial waters would remain free of nuclear weapons.
At the time, Icelandic officials said the visits would help strengthen allies’ surveillance and response capabilities, ensuring improved situational awareness and increased safety of underwater infrastructure such as transmission cables.
In April 2023, the now-decommissioned attack submarine San Juan made a brief stop in waters off Iceland’s west coast for supplies and a personnel exchange. Wednesday’s port call was a significant step from the stopover of San Juan, the Navy said.
Like San Juan, Newport News does not carry nuclear weapons. It’s armed with Tomahawk missiles and MK-48 torpedoes, according to Navy.mil. It has a crew of about 143 and is homeported in Groton, Conn.
Iceland is part of a critical expanse of the north Atlantic Ocean known as the GIUK gap, which spans from Greenland to the U.K.
Controlling that gateway to the Atlantic is essential for homeland defense and blocking Russian submarines from threatening the U.S. eastern seaboard, Munsch said.
He added: “It’s important that people understand what a strong ally Iceland is.”
