Summary and main problem: The U.S. Navy’s Ohio-class submarines, originally built as nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), served as a vital war machine for decades. But they will soon be retired.
-Four of these ships were converted to conventionally armed submarines (SSGNs) under a disarmament treaty and play a critical role in US naval strategy with their ability to carry 154 Tomahawk missiles and conduct special forces operations.
– However, as these submarines are retired starting in 2026, the Navy faces a significant decline in vertical launch payload capacity.
Retirement of the Ohio-class SSGNs: A Looming Crisis for the U.S. Navy’s Firepower
The planned replacement, the Virginia-class submarines with the Virginia payload module, is behind schedule, raising concerns that the U.S. Navy could face a firepower shortage during this transition period.
A total of 18 of the planned 24 Ohio- Class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) were built for the United States Navy between 1976 and 1997 – and the lead boat, the USS Ohio was commissioned in November 1981. This is not a ballistic missile submarine, but the USS Ohio is one of four submarines of this class that were converted to conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines (SSGNs).
According to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START II) agreed in June 1992, the number of strategic missile submarines of the US Navy was limited to 14 from 2002. It was decided to convert the four oldest boats of this class.
Still powerful ships
It would be unfair to say that the four boats were castrated or even defanged. Although they were no longer part of the US military’s nuclear triad, the boats were well-armed vessels.
During the conversion process, the 24 missile tubes of the four SSBNS equipped with Trident Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBM) submarine-launched ballistic missiles were removed and replaced with 22 missile tubes, each capable of carrying seven Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM), for a total of 154 missiles.
In addition, the converted submarines also received the space and necessary modifications to accommodate up to 66 special forces (SOF) personnel, as well as two missile tubes converted to dry deck shelter (DDS) containment chambers, NavalNews.com explained. The conversion also resulted in these ships swapping out their SLBM control facilities for the Common Submarine Radio Room (CSRR) and two high data rate antennas. This greatly expanded the ships’ communications capabilities and essentially equipped each with the necessary systems to act as a forward Small Combatant Joint Command Center for the special forces on board.
USS Ohio began conversion in November 2002 and was reinstated in January 2006 after sea trials as SSGN-726. Other converted boats in the class included USS Michigan (SSGN-727), USS Florida (SSGN-728) and USS Georgia (SSGN-729).
Brandon J. Weichert wrote for The National Interest: “(The Ohio-class SSGN) is an underwater juggernaut, packed with a huge and deadly arsenal and one of the world’s most advanced underwater communications systems, the Ohio-class will be one of the most important weapons systems the U.S. Navy can use in the war against the Chinese military.”
The Ohio class is about to retire
Having been in service for four decades or more, the four boats are nearing the end of their respective service lives. Although it has been long anticipated, it is now just two years away, with SSGN-726 and SSGN-728 joining 17 other vessels scheduled for retirement in 2026; while SSGN-727 and SSGN-728 will be retired two years later.
The concern for military planners is that the four SSGNs currently account for nearly half of the vertical launch capacity of the U.S. Navy’s submarine fleet – and the naval force will face an immediate drop in payload capacity once the first two boats are decommissioned. The Block V Virginia -class submarines – which will be equipped with the 84-foot-long Virginia Payload Module (VPM), which contains four large-diameter vertical launch tubes – should take over the role of the four Ohio-Class boats.
The vertical launch tubes of the VPM were intended to replace the role of the “Multiple All-Up-Round Canister” tubes on the Ohio SSGNs that can each carry seven Tomahawk missiles, for a total of 28 additional missiles on each boat. The problem is that the US Navy needs 22 of the VPM-equipped submarines to restore the lost payload capacity of the four boats.
Delays caused by the pandemic and a submarine industry struggling to keep up have only led to delays. At the same time, the future Columbia -class ballistic missile submarines that replace the aging Ohio-Class are also lagging behind. Columbia-The submarine class remains a top priority as it represents a key component of the nuclear triad, which will result in a loss of payload capacity in the U.S. Navy’s submarine force in the near term.
Author’s experience and expertise: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a writer from Michigan. He has published over 3,200 articles for more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites in his twenty-year career as a journalist. He writes regularly about military equipment, weapons history, cybersecurity, politics and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Author for Forbes and Clearance jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
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