Biden, First Lady Salute Attack Sub With Russia Tensions High

President says submarine symbolizes U.S. security commitments
Nuclear-powered vessel gets sendoff in Biden’s home state

First lady Jill Biden speaks at a commissioning ceremony for USS Delaware at the Port of Wilmington in Wilmington, Delaware on April 2.Photographer: Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo

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By Alex Wayne

April 2, 2022 at 4:48 PM UTC

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First lady Jill Biden ceremonially commissioned a nuclear-powered submarine on Saturday, presiding over a display of U.S. naval power with tension between Washington and Moscow at the highest levels since the depths of the Cold War.

The U.S.S. Delaware, commissioned two years ago as the nation’s 18th Virginia-class attack submarine, made a port call in President Joe Biden’s hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, this weekend for a ceremony that was delayed by the pandemic.