![]() That is a tight timeframe, especially considering the importance of SSBNs in the US's nuclear posture. The Ohios, all but five of which have been in service for 30 years or longer, are expected to be decommissioned between 20. USS District of Columbia is planned to be delivered in 2027, with initial operating capability expected in June 2030 and its first patrol in 2031. ![]() Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Wyoming in the Atlantic Ocean, January 9, 2009. The Ohio-class was also designed with four 533mm (21-inch) torpedo tubs with a Mk 118 digital torpedo fire control systems, and armed with Gould Mk 48s, a heavyweight weapon with a 640 pound (290 kg) warhead.Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. ![]() The boats are able to maintain a top speed of 18 knots when surfaced and 25 knots submerged. The Ohio-class submarines feature a streamlined outer hull that enables the boat to move silently through the water at high speed, while the interior pressure hull provides an area that is large enough to accommodate the weapons, crew and equipment.Įach of the submarines are powered by a GE S8G pressure water reactor with two turbines that provide 45 MW (60,000 shp), which drive a single shaft. This further maximizes the SSBN’s strategic availability, while reducing the number of boats that are required to meet the strategic requirements and yet allow for proper crew training, readiness and morale. The two sets of crews each consists of fifteen officers, including its own captain, and one hundred forty four enlisted sailors. Navy’s boats displaced 16,764 tons, were 560 feet (170 meters) in length, and were 42 feet (13 meters) at the beam.Įach of the SSBNs has two crews – “Blue” and “Gold” – which alternate manning the boats while on patrol. Until the deployment of the Soviet Union’s mighty Typhoon-class, the Ohio was the largest submarine in the world. The crew facilities were also enhanced, and included two onboard libraries and other amenities. The Ohio-class has been seen as a major improvement over the previous Lafayette-class SSBNs, and the boats were faster, quieter, and easier to maintain. The first eight boats were delivered with Trident C4 missiles, while the fourteen to follow were armed with the longer-range Trident D5 – a weapon that has been touted as being as accurate as ground-based ICBMs, and with the same response time and greater destructive effect. ![]() Bush as providing “a new dimension in our nation’s strategic deterrence.” The submarine, which had been laid down five years earlier, was the first in a new class of eighteen nuclear-powered SSBNs built for the United States Navy. It would still carry out that mission against Russia or China if called upon today: When the USS Ohio (SSBN-726) was commissioned in 1981, the nuclear ballistic submarine was heralded by then-Vice President George H.W. The Ohio-Class Submarine was built for a nuclear war against the Soviet Union. This new platform will also have the capability to carry and support more than 66 Navy SEALs (Sea, Air and Land) and insert them clandestinely into potential conflict areas. The 22 missile tubes also will provide the capability to carry other payloads, such as unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Special Forces equipment. The SSGNs will have the capability to support and launch up to 154 Tomahawk missiles, a significant increase in capacity compared to other platforms. ![]() Four Ohio-class strategic missile submarines, USS Ohio (SSBN 726), USS Michigan (SSBN 727) USS Florida (SSBN 728), and USS Georgia (SSBN 729) have been selected for transformation into a new platform, designated SSGN. 29, 2002 for conversion to SSGN at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. 14, 2003) - USS Ohio (SSGN 726) is in dry dock undergoing a conversion from a Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN) to a Guided Missile Submarine (SSGN) designation. ![]()
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