THE US military has sent another fast-attack submarine to Subic Bay for a port call amid tensions over a territorial dispute between the Philippines and China over parts of the South China Sea.
In a statement emailed by the US Embassy in Manila, the US said the arrival of the Los Angeles-class USS Topeka (SSN 754) was part of its routine Indo-Asia-Pacific deployment.
The submarine has 160 sailors including some Filipino-Americans aboard led by Commander David P. Lammers.
“Topeka will conduct a multitude of missions and maintain proficiency of the latest capabilities of the submarine fleet,” Lammers said.
The US Embassy said the Topeka is capable of operating at depths greater than 800 feet at speeds of up to 25 nautical miles an hour.
Measuring more than 300 feet long and weighing more than 6,000 tons, Topeka is one of the stealthiest submarines in the world. This submarine is capable of supporting a multitude of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike, surveillance and reconnaissance.
On Jan. 5, the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Texas (SSN 775) with 135 crew members docked in Subic.