USS Alaska Docks in Gibraltar Amid U.S.-Iran Tensions

A U.S. Navy Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine arrived in Gibraltar on May 10, 2026, prompting a rare public disclosure of the operational location of one of the military's most secretive strategic assets, as tensions escalate in ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran.

The U.S. 6th Fleet, based in Naples, Italy, announced the port visit the following day without naming the vessel. Local reports and observers identified it as the USS Alaska, a Trident II D5-capable submarine homeported at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia. The 170.7-meter vessel docked at South Mole under escort from Gibraltar Squadron patrol craft, Gibraltar Defence Police, and Royal Marines detachments. Authorities enforced a 200-meter maritime exclusion zone around the berth.

The 6th Fleet described the stop as a demonstration of U.S. capability, flexibility, and continuing commitment to NATO allies. Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines form the sea-based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad, offering undetectable launch platforms for submarine-launched ballistic missiles with ranges exceeding 4,500 miles. Of the class's 14 ballistic missile variants, these vessels provide the most survivable...