Ohio-class Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine

The Ohio-class is a class of nuclear-powered submarines currently used by the United States Navy. The navy has eighteen Ohio-class submarines: 14 ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) and four that were later converted to guided missile submarines (SSGN).

The Ohio-class was named after the lead submarine of this class, USS Ohio. The 14 Trident II SSBNs together carry approximately fifty percent of the total US active inventory of strategic thermonuclear warheads. Although the Trident missiles have no pre-set targets when the submarines go on patrol, the warships are capable of quickly being targeted using secure and constant radio communications links, including very low frequency (VLF) systems. All the Ohio-class submarines, except for USS Henry M. Jackson, are named for U.S. states, which until that point was a tradition reserved for battleships and cruisers.

The Ohio-class submarines are the largest submarines ever built for the US Navy. Two classes of the Russian Navy's submarines have larger total displacements: the Soviet-designed Typhoon-class submarines have more than twice the total displacement, and Russia's Borei-class submarines have roughly 25 percent greater displacement, but the Ohio-class boats carry more missiles than either: 24 Trident missiles per boat, versus 16 missiles for the Borei-class (20 for the Borei II) and 20 for the Typhoon-class.

Specifications

 * Type: Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine
 * Service Period: 1981-Present
 * Characteristics:
 * Length: 560 feet (170.69 meters)
 * Beam: 42 feet (12.8 meters)
 * Draft: 35 feet 6 inches (10.82 meters)
 * Displacement: 16,500 tons (Surfaced); 18,450 tons (Submerged)
 * Crew: 155 (15 officers and 140 enlisted)
 * Propulsion:
 * 1 x S8G PWR nuclear reactor, 2 x geared turbines, 60,000 shp (45 MW), 1 x shaft with seven bladed screw
 * Fairbanks Morse auxiliary diesel engine, 1 x 325 hp (242 kW) auxiliary motor
 * Speed (Surfaced): 12 knots (22.24 km/h)
 * Speed (Submerged): 20-25 knots (37.04-46.3 km/h)
 * Sensor Suite:
 * BQQ-6 Passive bow mounted Sonar
 * BQS-13 Fire Control Sonar
 * BQR-19 Navigation Sonar
 * TB-16/BQR-23 Towed Sonar
 * BQR-25 Conformal Sonar
 * Armament:
 * 4 x 21" torpedo tubes (fires Mk.48/Mk.48 ADCAP heavyweight torpedoes)
 * 24 x UGM-96 Trident I/UGM-133 Trident II SLBMs or 154 UGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles

Unit Run

 * USS Ohio (SSGN-726) - converted to SSGN
 * USS Michigan (SSGN-727) - converted to SSGN
 * USS Florida (SSGN-728) - converted to SSGN
 * USS Georgia (SSGN-729) - converted to SSGN
 * USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN-730)
 * USS Alabama (SSBN-731)
 * USS Alaska (SSBN-732)
 * USS Nevada (SSBN-733)
 * USS Tennessee (SSBN-734)
 * USS Pennsylvania (SSBN-735)
 * USS West Virginia (SSBN-736)
 * USS Kentucky (SSBN-737)
 * USS Maryland (SSBN-738)
 * USS Nebraska (SSBN-739)
 * USS Rhode Island (SSBN-740)
 * USS Maine (SSBN-741)
 * USS Wyoming (SSBN-742)
 * USS Louisiana (SSBN-743)