The U.S. Navy’s Ohio-Class SSGN Submarines: Not Ready for Retirement?

Summary and Key Points: As warfare evolves with drones, electronic warfare, and AI targeting, maintaining substantial firepower remains essential. U.S. Navy’s guided missile submarines (SSGNs), capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk missiles, provide crucial undersea firepower.

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Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Wash. (Aug. 14, 2003) — Illustration of USS Ohio (SSGN 726) which is undergoing a conversion from a Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN) to a Guided Missile Submarine (SSGN) designation. Ohio has been out of service since Oct. 29, 2002 for conversion to SSGN at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. 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. The SSGNs will have the capability to support and launch up to 154 Tomahawk missiles, a significant increase in capacity compared to other platforms. 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. 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. U.S. Navy illustration. (RELEASED)

-With these aging SSGNs nearing retirement, the Navy is fast-tracking Virginia Payload Modules for Block V Virginia-class submarines, increasing their missile capacity from 12 to 40 Tomahawks.

-Extending the service life of SSGNs could be vital, ensuring massive firepower against potential adversaries like Russia or China until more Block V boats are operational.

The Ohio-Class SSGN Dilemma

Drones, networks, electronic warfare (EW) and AI-enabled multi-domain targeting are all properly receiving massive amounts of focus when it comes to innovation, modernization, and preparations for future warfare, yet none of these next-generation applications can achieve much battlefield effects without simple “firepower,” and “lethality.” Ultimately, lethal effects must be brought upon a target with sufficient destructive power to achieve the intended result. Even with the many breakthroughs in the realm of precision targeting, many targets can be large and require a substantial amount of firepower to destroy.

This reality is not lost on weapons developers, who recognize the importance of maintaining undersea firepower in the form of torpedoes and Tomahawk missiles. Part of this important need to “mass” firepower has for years been contained in the U.S. Navy’s so-called SSGNs, guided missile submarines, each able to carry as many as 154 Tomahawk missiles. This is an extremely impactful amount of mobile, undersea firepower, particularly given that Tomahawks can travel as far as 900 miles to a target. SSGNs have been used to fire weapons in several conflicts, including Libya in 2011.

These submarines, much like the nuclear-armed Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines, have already more than outlived their intended lifespan. Therefore, in anticipation of their retirement, the U.S. Navy has been fast-tracking what it calls Virginia Payload Modules for Block V Virginia-class submarines. This module is an added 80-foot section on Virginia class submarines that massively increases firepower from 12 Tomahawks to 40 Tomahawks per boat. This initiative, already progressing and under construction, is intended as a deliberate effort to help offset the loss of firepower expected when the four SSGNs retire.

Extend Massive Firepower

However, given the sheer mass, scope, and size of potential targets in rival nations, some might be inclined to explore the possibility of extending the SSGN service life even further. Potential adversaries can present a wide array of large, yet spread apart targets such as ships, buildings, armored vehicles, and other high-density, dispersed, large objectives, therefore a successful attack upon them would likely require a large amount of sea-launched firepower. It will take many more years for sufficient numbers of Block V Virginia-class boats to arrive, so perhaps it does make sense to extend SSGNs beyond what might seem possible.

This is not an easy task to accomplish, however, as they have already been in service for decades and have already exceeded their expected service life. The first of four SSGNs, the USS Ohio, was commissioned as far back as 1981. Extending service life will require additional maintenance, upkeep, and sustainment of critical systems such as electronics, weapons systems, computing, command and control, and simple hull structure.

Should this be accomplished, the U.S. Navy could sustain very large amounts of firepower for many more years as Block V Virginia-class boats arrive. An attack campaign scenario against either Russia or China would likely require large amounts of firepower to attack air defenses, command and control structures, equipment, and force concentrations separated by hundreds of miles. Any counterattack in response to a Russian or Chinese assault would need to overwhelm attacking forces with responsive sea-launched firepower.

About the Author: Kris Osborn

Kris Osborn is the Military Affairs Editor of 19FortyFive and President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Master’s Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.