USS Minnesota returns home after months-long deployment in the Indo-Pacific

On July 29, one of the most capable submarines in the U.S. Navy completed a months-long deployment in one of the world’s most important regions.

The USS Minnesota fast-attack submarine recently came back to port after months of stealthy sailing in the Indo-Pacific Ocean.

This was the Minnesota’s first deployment since becoming the Navy’s first forward-deployed fast-attack submarine; currently, there are three other such subs currently deployed in the region.

“Minnesota’s return marks a significant milestone for the Pacific Submarine Force and demonstrates the Navy’s ability to sustain and employ advanced Virginia-class capabilities in the Pacific,” Captain Christopher Carter, commanding officer of Submarine Squadron 15, said in a service press release.

“Operating from Guam, this crew demonstrated the readiness, endurance and advanced capabilities the Virginia-class platform brings to the strategic outpost in the Western Pacific,” the senior Navy officer added.

The USS Minnesota deployed from Guam. The strategic island serves as a forward operating base for Navy warships and Air Force aircraft.

During its deployment, the submarine participated in the multinational exercise Valiant Shield 2026. It also made a port call to Okinawa and mainland Japan, demonstrating its ability to operate from different ports throughout the area of operations.

The deployment was one of the most important for the careers of several sailors on board the USS Minnesota. Specifically, two officers and 20 enlisted sailors earned their submarine warfare insignia, colloquially known in the Silent Service as “dolphins” or “fish.” Bearers of the insignia are distinguished by their ability to operate at the highest standard of submarine warfare.

Tugboats guide USS Minnesota (SSN783) to the pier as the Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine returns to Naval Submarine Base New London in Gorton, Connecticut, following a regularly schedule deployment in November 2021. (Naval Criminal Investigative Service)

“The crew performed superbly while executing missions vital to the defense of the homeland and strengthening our alliances and partnerships,” Commander Jeffrey Cornielle, the commanding officer of USS Minnesota, said.

“The experience they gained operating throughout the Western Pacific will shape Minnesota’s continued success for years to come. I am proud of every Sailor and deeply grateful to our families, whose strength and support made this deployment possible,” Cornielle added.

The USS Minnesota is a Virginia-class nuclear-powered, fast-attack submarine. At nearly 380 feet and weighing almost 8,000 tons, the sub has a crew of 140 officers and enlisted personnel, and is part of Submarine Squadron 15.

As a fast-attack sub, the vessel’s main goal is to sink enemy surface combatants, submarines, and commercial vessels. Besides anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface ship warfare, the USS Minnesota can also conduct long-range strikes, as well as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

Commissioned in 2013, the USS Minnesota is the third Navy surface combatant and submarine to be named after the North Star State.

The continuous rise of the Chinese Navy in the Indo-Pacific area of operations presents increasingly more challenges to the U.S. Navy: The submarines of Squadron 15, as well as submarines from other units, will be the first line of defense in a potential clash with the Chinese Navy around Taiwan or in the South China Sea.

Thus, deployments like the one recently completed by the USS Minnesota play a key role in preparing the fleet for active operations, while also sending a message to Beijing, as well as to U.S. allies and partners in the region.

Feature Image: Virginia-class fast-attack submarine transits Apra Harbor as it returns to its home port at Naval Base Guam on July 29, 2026. Renowned for their unparalleled speed, endurance, stealth, and mobility, Virginia-class submarines are the backbone of the Navy’s submarine fleet. Regarded as apex predators of the sea, Guam’s fast-attack submarines serve as the tip of the spear reaffirming the submarine force’s forward-deployed presence across the Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Bryan Mai)

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