Luis Ayllón
The Spanish government has protested to the United States against the arrival of the nuclear submarine USS Georgia in the port of Gibraltar, scheduled for today, diplomatic sources confirmed to The Diplomat.
The Spanish authorities conveyed to the US authorities, through the usual diplomatic channels, their displeasure at the choice of Gibraltar for the submarine’s stopover, since it has, at a short distance, the facilities offered by the Rota naval base, where, precisely, the US Georgia anchored in August 2020.
The sources consulted recalled that, in any case, Spain cannot prevent this type of stopover from taking place, because the port of Gibraltar, with its internal waters, was ceded by Spain to the United Kingdom by virtue of Article X of the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713.
The aforementioned sources assured that the Spanish authorities “ensure that this type of stopover takes place with the maximum safety guarantees for the inhabitants and for the environment” and affirmed that “the corresponding protocols have been put in place”.
It is not known how long the submarine will remain in Gibraltar or the reasons for its stopover in the British colony, although other sources consulted by The Diplomat ruled out that it was for repairs.
The USS Georgia is the fourth nuclear-powered submarine of the US Navy’s Ohio class and entered service in 1984 as an SSBN, i.e. a ballistic missile submarine. However, between 2004 and 2008 it was transformed into a new platform, designated SSGN-729, and converted into a submarine capable of launching cruise missiles.
This is not the first time that Spain has been forced to protest to Washington over the presence of nuclear-powered submarines on the Rock.
In June last year, the USS Alaska SSBN-732, also of the Ohio class, remained in the port of Gibraltar for several days, without any explanation of the reasons for its presence.
Months later, in December, it was a nuclear submarine of the Los Angeles class that called at the Rock.
In both cases, in addition to the official protests, there were protests from environmentalists in the area, who usually express their discomfort at the frequent presence of nuclear submarines in the port of the British colony, especially since 2001, when the British ship HMS Tireless underwent a long repair in the port facilities.
