US nuclear-powered submarine arrives in Japan

The U.S. Navy’s “newest” nuclear-powered Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Cheyenne (SSN 773) arrived at Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan, on May 2, for a visit as part of its Indo-Asia-Pacific deployment.

A week before Cheyenne’s Japan visit, U.S. Navy Ohio-class submarine USS Michigan visited Busan, South Korea, in wake of tensions between North Korea and the U.S., caused by Pyongyang’s repeated missile tests.

The U.S. Navy said the Cheyenne’s crew would interact with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force demonstrating the U.S. Navy’s commitment to regional stability and maritime security in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.

Homeported in Pearl Harbor, Cheyenne is named for the city of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Commissioned on Sept. 13, 1996, Cheyenne was the last of the 62 Los Angeles-class submarines to be put into service.

Measuring more than 362 feet long and weighing more than 6,500 tons when submerged, the boat is capable of executing anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike, naval special warfare, irregular warfare, and mine warfare.