The Navy’s nightmare with the Ohio-class submarine boils down to one word

Summary and core problem: The U.S. Navy’s Ohio-class submarines, originally built as nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), have served as critical assets for decades. But their retirement is coming.

-Four of these vessels were converted into conventionally armed submarines (SSGNs) as part of a treaty to reduce arms. They played a crucial role in U.S. naval strategy, as they could carry 154 Tomahawk missiles and conduct Special Forces operations.

-But with these submarines set to retire from production in 2026, the Navy faces a significant reduction in vertical launch capability.

Ohio-class SSGNs retire: a looming crisis for US Navy firepower

The intended replacement, the Virginia-class submarines with the Virginia Payload Module, is behind schedule, raising concerns about a shortage of firepower for the U.S. Navy during this transition period.

A total of 18 of the planned 24 Ohio- class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) were built between 1976 and 1997 for the U.S. Navy – and the lead ship, the USS Ohio commissioned in November 1981. However, it is not really a ballistic missile submarine, but rather a USS Ohio is one of four of this class that have been converted into conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines (SSGNs).

Under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START II), concluded in June 1992, the number of strategic missile submarines in the US Navy was limited to 14 starting in 2002. It was decided to convert the four oldest boats of this class.

Still powerful ships

It would be unfair to suggest that the four boats were neutralized or even had their proverbial claws clipped. Although no longer part of the U.S. military’s nuclear triad, the boats were well-armed vessels.

During the conversion process, the 24 missile tubes of the four SSBNS, which could carry Trident Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBM), were removed and replaced with 22 missile tubes, each capable of carrying seven Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM), for a total of 154 missiles.

Additionally, the converted submarines were also given the space and necessary modifications to accommodate up to 66 Special Forces (SOF) personnel and two missile tubes were modified into lockout chambers for the Dry Deck Shelter (DDS), NavalNews.com explained. The conversion also resulted in these ships trading in their SLBM control-related facilities for the Common Submarine Radio Room (CSRR) and two High-Data-Rate antennas. This greatly expanded the ships’ communications capabilities, and each was essentially outfitted 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 rejoined the fleet in January 2006 as SSGN-726, following her sea trials. Other converted boats of 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) submarine is an undersea behemoth, packed with a vast and deadly arsenal and one of the world’s most advanced undersea communications systems, the Ohio-class will be one of the most important weapons systems the U.S. Navy can deploy against the Chinese military in a time of war.”

Retirement looms for Ohio class

With the four boats having been in service for four decades or more, they are nearing the end of their respective service lives. While long-awaited, it is now just two years away, with SSGN-726 and SSGN-728 joining 17 other vessels set to retire in 2026; while SSGN-727 and SSGN-728 will retire two years later.

The concern for military planners is that the four SSGNs currently comprise nearly half of the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Force’s vertical launch capability — and the Navy will face an immediate decrease in capability once the first two boats are retired. The Block V Virginia -class submarines – which will be equipped with the 84-foot-long “Virginia Payload Module” (VPM) containing four large vertical launch tubes – were intended to replace the role of the four Ohio-class boats.

The VPM’s vertical launch tubes were 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 extra missiles on each boat. The problem is that the U.S. Navy needs 22 of the VPM-equipped submarines to regain the lost cargo capacity of the four boats.

Delays due to the pandemic and a struggling subsea industrial base to keep pace have only led to delays. At the same time, the future is Colombia -class ballistic missile submarines that will replace the aging Ohio-class are also behind schedule. The Colombia-class remains a top priority because it is an important part of the nuclear trinity, and that will result in a loss of payload for the US Navy’s submarine fleet in the short term.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a writer from Michigan. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with more than 3,200 published pieces in a two-decade career in journalism. He writes frequently about military equipment, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance jobsYou can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.

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