US general on rare visit to nuclear-armed sub in Arabian Sea

By LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The top U.S. military commander for the Middle East boarded a U.S. ballistic missile submarine in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday. That’s a rare move and highlights U.S. nuclear undersea capabilities during tense times with Iran and Russia. Officials say Gen. Erik Kurilla was shuttled out to the USS West Virginia and went aboard for about eight hours as the submarine rose to the surface in an undisclosed location in international waters in the Arabian Sea. The West Virginia is one of the Navy’s Ohio Class, long-range submarines, known as boomers. They can launch nuclear missile strikes and are considered a key strategic deterrent.