China Shocked: Why Navy Raised Three Ohio-Class Missile Submarines as ‘Lesson’

Summary and key points: China’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea, including dangerous maneuvers by PLAAF pilots near U.S. aircraft, require a strong deterrent response from the United States. One possible strategy would be to return Ohio-class SSGNs to the surface to signal America’s readiness and capability.

-These submarines, each carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, are a significant display of power.

-A similar demonstration took place in 2010, when three Ohio-class submarines surfaced at strategic locations, reminding Beijing of the U.S. Navy’s global reach and strike capabilities.

Against China: How Ohio-class submarines can deter aggression in the South China Sea

China’s ongoing hostile activities toward U.S. assets in the South China Sea could be countered with a show of force. Last year, a People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) pilot flew within 10 feet of a U.S. B-52 bomber, putting the two planes at risk of collision.

In another incident, a Chinese J-16 fighter made an aggressive maneuver while intercepting an American RC-135 fuselage. The United States must prevent these hostile actions from continuing.

In 2010, the U.S. Navy surfaced three of its Ohio-class (SSGN) guided-missile submarines to show Beijing that these formidable boats could sail anywhere in the world.

China’s naval capabilities have expanded rapidly in recent decades. Between 2000 and 2005, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) nearly doubled in size, from 100 maritime platforms to 200.

As reported by The Maritime Executive, “this tsunami of Chinese shipbuilding has enormous potential implications for the PRC’s effort to coercively encircle Taiwan, resolve other sovereignty disputes in its favor, brand the region as a zone of exceptionalism relative to international rules and norms, and project Beijing’s power and influence around the world.” As this rapid Chinese naval development was underway, Washington sent Beijing a poignant message by surfacing three of its SSGNs.

An overview of the Navy’s Ohio-class SSGNs

The Cold War led to perhaps the greatest leaps in submarine innovation in history. In this post-World War II era, American engineers prioritized developing the best submarine technologies, leading to the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine, the Nautilus (SSN-571), in the mid-1950s. Over the next decade, the Navy developed ballistic missiles and submarine launch platforms that could be fired while the boat was submerged.

This advanced capability led to the commissioning of 41 ballistic missile submarines between the late 1950s and the late 1960s.

In the years that followed, the Navy would acquire the first four Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines: Ohio, Florida, Michigan, and Georgia. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, a Nuclear Posture Review dictated that the United States needed only fourteen of its SSBNs to provide the required level of deterrence. To comply with treaty guidelines, the Navy converted four of its SSBNS to SSGNS.

Today, these submarines represent more than half of the submarine force’s vertical launch capability. Instead of nuclear-tipped Trident missiles, these submarines carry 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles capable of striking targets within 1,000 miles with non-nuclear warheads.

In June 2010, the USS Ohio surfaced in Subic Bay, Philippines. The USS Michigan surfaced next, this time in South Korea, followed by the USS Florida in the Indian Ocean. This showdown showed that the Navy could fire a whopping 462 new Tomahawks from anywhere in the world.

It is impossible that Beijing has not taken note of this tri-surfacing event. As tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to rise, a similar strategy could help prevent further hostile actions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkDGFpn_iT0

About the Author: Defense Expert Maya Carlin

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer at The National Interest, is an analyst at the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has contributed to many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.

Image credit: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock.

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