Military observers say the United States was sending a subtle message to China when three of its fleet of four conventional, guided missile submarines (SSGNs) all surfaced on the same week in waters around Asia-Pacific.
U.S. Navy photo by Cmdr. Dale Bopp
Chinese generals woke up on Jun. 28 to find the U.S.S. Ohio arriving in the Philippines, U.S.S. Michigan popping up in South Korea and U.S.S. Florida appearing in the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia.
Together, these boats packed 462 Tomahawk cruise missiles in China’s neighborhood.