The retirement of the Ohio-class SSGN submarines between 2026 and 2028 may bring the U.S. Navy to a dramatic strategic threshold, given that such vessels have been of particular importance in maintaining the balance of U.S. naval firepower and strategic capabilities.
Although designed originally as ballistic missile submarines during the Cold War, four Ohio-class submarines were later transformed into guided missile submarines or SSGNs. Each of these can carry as many as 154 Tomahawk missiles, support special forces operations, and serve as an underwater command center. Their retirement, however, forms part of broader post-Cold War strategic adjustments that saw a reduction in the U.S. submarine ballistic missile force.
This transition is not occurring quickly enough to prevent the impending shortfall with the newer Block V Virginia-class submarines, which carry fewer missiles. Based on the rate at which the Navy is producing these submarines, it appears likely that a shortfall in missile capacity could present challenges in maintaining U.S. undersea and strategic missile capabilities in this key period of naval modernization.
The Ohio-class SSGNs have formed one cornerstone of the United States nuclear deterrence strategy, playing a highly significant role in the nuclear triad that includes land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, strategic bombers, and ballistic missile submarines. These were designed for extended patrols to be able to lurk undetected and launch a nuclear strike, if need be, and were built in the 1980s. After the Cold War, four of these submarines were converted to SSGNs with an improved tactical profile offering the capability to carry a large number of Tomahawk missiles and conduct special forces operations.
The typical Ohio SSGN is approximately 3.53 billion in 2023 dollars, 560 feet in length, with a beam of 42 feet and a draft of 35 feet. Displacing approximately 19,000 tons submerged, these vessels are powered by one S8G PWR nuclear reactor and two geared turbines, rating it at 35,000 horsepower with the capability to reach 25 knots submerged.
Retiring the two Ohio SSGNs in 2026 and the remaining two in 2028 will kill the class effectively. This, however, is a concerning missile strength reduction, with Block V Virginia-class submarines supposed to offset the missile loss having been slow in production. Current projections show that only during the 2040s will the production of the Virginia-class submarines go into sufficient numbers to account for the missiles lost due to Ohio’s retirement.
The Ohio-class submarines have also been referred to as “undersea juggernauts,” with an enormous and lethal arsenal and advanced undersea communications suites. These have formed one of the most important weapons systems that the U.S. Navy can forward-deploy.
The fact that Virginia-class submarines with VPM are coming a bit behind schedule is raising concerns about the possible shortfall in U.S. naval firepower during this transitional period that the Navy has to endure. The VPM would carry four large diameter vertical launch tubes and was supposed to replace the Multiple all-up All-Up-Round Canister tubes aboard the Ohio SSGNs. However, the Navy needs 22 such boats for it to recover the lost payload capacity of the four Ohio-class boats.
Delays in the pandemic and problems with the submarine industrial base have only exacerbated the problem. The next generation of ballistic missile submarines Columbia-class-designed to replace the aging Ohio-class is also falling behind schedule. Of course, the Columbia class is a top priority and considered an integral part of the nuclear triad, adding complexity to the Navy’s plans for missile capacity in the near term.
With the Ohio-class SSGNs’ retirement plan, it is now more than ever imperative that these challenges be appropriately met by the U.S. Navy in due time to ensure strategic and tactical superiority against global emerging threats.