Key Points and Summary – The U.S. Navy appears to be reversing plans to retire two Ohio-class guided-missile submarines—USS Ohio and USS Florida—in FY26.
-Absent from a September inactivation memo, both boats may serve longer as planners craft concepts that leverage SSGNs’ two signature strengths: mass Tomahawk salvos and special operations support.
-Recent operations, including USS Georgia’s reported role in strikes on Iranian targets, highlight that value.
-An extension would buy time while the Navy advances SSN(X) and other cruise-missile options to absorb the SSGNs’ role. Ultimately, their sunset will hinge on next-gen sub timelines, weapons integration, and industrial ramp-up.
The Ohio-Class SSGN Saved?
The U.S. Navy appears to have reversed course on plans to retire two of its four Ohio-class guided-missile submarines in fiscal year 2026.
According to defense officials, both USS Ohio (SSGN-726) and USS Florida (SSGN-728) were previously listed for deactivation in budget documents released over the summer, but the boats were absent from a subsequent internal inactivation memo that circulated in mid-September.
The change suggests that the Navy intends to keep the aging, but still useful, platforms in service beyond 2026.
According to a report from Jane’s, Navy planners are said to be drafting new operational concepts that capitalize on the submarines’ most unique attributes, including their ability to support special operations forces and deliver massed strikes with Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The Ohio-Class Might Not Be Easily Replaceable
Those capabilities have proven valuable in recent operations. In June, officials confirmed that USS Georgia (SSGN-729) launched Tomahawks as part of a joint air- and sea-based strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.
During that strike – part of Operation Midnight Hammer – the submarine reportedly launched moe than two dozen Tomahawk missiles against targets that included the uranium conversion facility at Isfahan. While B-2 bombers grabbed headlines for penetrating Iranian air defenses, the broader strike package also relied on the likes of USS Georgia to overwhelm defenses and ensure the mission’s success.
The submarine had deployed to the Middle East months earlier in response to Iranian and Hezbollah threats – and it is these kinds of victories that could well be driving the decision to keep Ohio-class submarines in service for some time more.
If finalized, the decision would delay the drawdown of a submarine type that offers firepower and flexibility that is unmatched elsewhere in the fleet, buying more time as the Navy weighs how best to replace the four SSGNs when they finally do retire.
Why Ohio-Class SSGNs Matter
The Ohio-class SSGNs represent one of the most powerful conventional strike platforms in the U.S. submarine fleet – despite initial plans to retire the platform.
Their origins date back to the post-Cold War era, when under the 1994 Nuclear Posture Review, the Navy determined that only 14 of 18 Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) were needed for nuclear deterrence.
The decision allowed for four of the oldest boats to be converted into guided-missile submarines (SSGNs).
Beginning in 2002, the submarines USS Ohio, Florida, Michigan, and Georgia underwent refueling and conversion overhauls. The process involved modifying 22 of the original 24 ballistic missile tubes into vertical launch systems capable of carrying Tomahawk cruise missiles, as well as reconfiguring the remaining tubes to support special operations forces. The upgrades allowed each SSGN to carry as many as 154 Tomahawks.
As converted platforms, the Ohio-class SSGNs combine stealth, heavy strike capacity, and endurance. Their large size and nuclear propulsion meant they were ideal for long patrols and extended submerged operations. And, as mentioned, in operational use the submarines have played high-visibility roles – including in Iran.
But despite their age – having been derived from hulls originally laid down in the late 1970s and early 1980s – the Ohio-SSGNs remain formidable. The Ohio itself was commissioned in 1981 as an SSBN, converted in the early 2000s, and is still active to this day.
Their conversion extended their useful service life, but ongoing maintenance and modernization programs have been necessary to keep them relevant and operational in high-demand environments. And it is that ongoing maintenance that will, inevitably, force the submarines to be decommissioned – whether that’s next year or several more years from now.
What Comes Next?
The apparent extension of the Ohio-class SSGNs’ service life only heightens the urgency for the Navy to accelerate development of new submarine platforms capable of filling their roles.
While the SSGNs were conversions from ballistic platforms, the Navy’s long-term path forward does not include a direct replacement in the guided-missile category. Instead, undersea strike capabilities appear to be shifting increasingly toward advanced attack submarines and cruise missile systems.
Among the Navy’s top efforts is the Next Generation Attack Submarine program, often referred to as SSN(X), which is intended to succeed the Virginia-class and incorporate vertical launch capability for cruise missiles. The idea? That newer SSNs will absorb more of the conventional strike burden that was formerly carried by the SSGNs – meaning the Ohio-class submarines may not need a true successor at all.
That being said, Columbia-class submarines are expected to finally replace the Ohio-class SSBNs beginning in the early 2030s. And although Columbia is not a like-for-like replacement for SSGNs, its deployment will help free up some industrial capacity to allow more flexibility in building new attack submarines.
Columbia-Class Navy Handout Photo. Image Credit: U.S. Navy.
The Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs office is also pushing forward with sustainment and modernization of existing submarine weapons, including the Trident II (D5) life-extension efforts, as part of a plan to preserve the current fleet’s lethality ahead of a future transition to new platforms.
Even if the Ohio-class SSGNs remain active for longer than initially planned, their eventual retirement will depend on the maturation of SSN(X), integration of new cruise missile systems, and the industrial ramp-up necessary to build the next generation of American submarines.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York who writes frequently for National Security Journal. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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