Originally, the USS Ohio was a ballistic missile submarine and was tasked with carrying nuclear warheads as part of the Navy’s maritime nuclear deterrent.
The USS Ohio, one of the oldest vessels in the U.S. Navy, is back in service after a three-year break. The nuclear-powered submarine is now once again active in the Indo-Pacific region.
The USS Ohio’s Upgrades
In March, the USS Ohio, with the designation SSGN 726, completed a three-year Major Maintenance Period availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility and received a certification for unrestricted operations by the Naval Sea Systems Command.
What made maintenance on the USS Ohio particularly challenging was the fact that the sub is currently the oldest in the Navy.
“These organizations worked well [together] to accomplish the required work. Each had to adapt to the changing conditions and be flexible to surge support when it was their turn,” Josh Fleming, the project superintendent, said in a press statement.
One of the most important things about nuclear-powered submarines is that they can operate without the need to resupply fuel, as diesel-powered submarines must. Although all submarines are naturally restricted by the amount of provisions they can carry, nuclear-powered vessels can sail almost indefinitely.
However, nuclear submarines require comprehensive maintenance of their reactors every set number of years—a time that came for the Ohio in 2022.
“The two crews were able to maintain a level of engagement for all of the docking period so that, when swapping crews every six months, there was little to no impact to ongoing work and testing,” Fleming explained. “This allowed the project team to maintain a more consistent schedule and keep the churn at the deckplate minimized.”
The Navy bases more than half of its submarines in the Indo-Pacific, recognizing the strategic importance of the region and the acute threat posed by the Chinese military in the South China Sea and Taiwan.
“Submarines like USS Ohio provide the U.S. Navy with unprecedented strike and special operation mission capabilities from a stealth, clandestine platform,” Rear Adm. Thomas Wall, the commanding officer of Submarine Group Nine, stated.
Although the submarine is nuclear-powered, it does not currently carry nuclear warheads. However, there was a time during which the USS Ohio served at the forefront of the U.S. Navy’s nuclear deterrence.
From Nuclear Warheads to a Beast
Originally, the USS Ohio was a ballistic missile submarine and was tasked with carrying nuclear warheads as part of the Navy’s maritime nuclear deterrent. However, the collapse of the Soviet Union led to comprehensive budget cuts across the armed services. Because the Navy did not have the need for many ballistic missile subs, it decided to cut the number of ballistic missile submarines from 18 to 14. As such, the USS Ohio and three other subs of the class were converted to cruise missile submarines.
The USS Ohio and each sister sub can carry an impressive 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles. In addition to their massive destructive capability, guided missile subs can carry special operations forces, such as Navy SEALs, Green Berets, Marine Raiders, and Force Recon Marines.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
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