USS Ohio (SSGN-726 / SSBN-726)

History of the USS Ohio (SSGN-726 / SSBN-726)

During the decades of the Cold War, the Soviet Union and the West played a cat-and-mouse game. For every technological advance one side makes, the other must fight back to win, often equaling or surpassing the previous threat. Submarines and their subs played a key role in "containment warfare" during this period and were the focus of future developments that would only increase the capabilities of submarines - a far cry from the torpedo-oriented warships of the world at the time of World War II.

The USS Ohio is a Cold War product designed with the lethal capability to engage enemy submarines and high-value surface targets through the latest systems and technologies available. Her original ballistic missile submarine form was USS Ohio (SSBN-726), but was later transitioned to a new role as a missile submarine, designated SSGN-726.

The Ohio class was designed to fill the role of the predecessor ships of the Benjamin Franklin and Lafayette classes. The new class also represented the largest submarine ever built by the U.S. Navy, outfitting even the largest Soviet class at the time.

The USS Ohio was ordered and contracted on July 1, 1974 to build the General Dynamics Electric Boat - which will be built from prefabricated parts. Her keel was lowered on April 10, 1976, and the official launch took place on April 7, 1979political and shipyard issues delayed official testing for a while.

The ship officially entered service on November 11, 1981 (Veteran's Day) and has her official motto "Always First" (and the unofficial "First and Best") as her home port in the Northwest United States of Bangor, Washington. Ohio was the capital ship of the Ohio-class battleships, which later included the USS Henry Jackson, USS Alabama, USS Alaska, USS Nevada, USS Tennessee, USS Pennsylvania, USS Florida, USS Georgia, USS West Virginia, USS Kentucky, USS Maryland , USS Michigan, USS Nebraska, USS Rhode Island, USS Maine, USS Wyoming and USS Louisiana There are only four aircraft carriers - USS Ohio, USS Michigan, USS Florida and USS Georgia - will be selected for the upcoming SSGN modification.

The USS Louisiana was the last Ohio-class submarine to be completed.

Externally, the USS Ohio design takes a traditional shape - essentially a tube with stabilizing and steering fins and the necessary sails. The sails were fixed amidships, and dive planes were issued from either side of the sails. The overall fuselage design is relatively featureless, with a rounded nose cone and a tapered tail. The stern manages the propeller as well as the vertical stabilizer. The USS Ohio displaces 16,500 long tons when it surfaced and 18,450 tons when submerged.

She came up with an overall length of 560 feet and a beam of 42 feet. Power comes from an S8G PWR series nuclear reactor driving 2 geared turbines. Auxiliary engines provide up to 325 horsepower.

The output of the single propeller shaft is 60,000 hp, and the surface speed is up to 12 knots and the underwater speed is over 20 knots. Thanks to her nuclear-powered propulsion, the USS Ohio's range is essentially unlimited, limited only by her ability to store food and control crew morale.

The ship had a crew of about 155, consisting of 15 officers and 140 seamen.

The USS Ohio is classified as an "attack submarine" and therefore has an offensive arsenal of torpedoes and ballistic missiles. Her design is such that she is equipped with a 4 x 21" (530 mm) torpedo launcher in the bow section of the hull.

This weapon provides the ability to attack enemy surface ships and submarines. The more powerful weapon in the Ohio Weapons Kit is their 24 x Trident Series Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBM) which at one point constituted the US Navys first strike thermonuclear range.

Perhaps the most overlooked part of this submarine is its powerful sensor array, which allows the crew to remain undetected and in turn track potential threats. The bow of USS Ohio is equipped with BQQ-6 series sonars, while the BQR-19 system provides navigation. The BQS-13 is an active sonar array, while the TB-16 is a towed sonar array.

Collectively, these systems -- combined with her highly trained operators -- made the USS Ohio a deeply feared deep-sea battleship at one point -- a respect that continues to this day.

After retrofitting the SSGN, the USS Ohio replaced her Trident missiles with Tomahawk cruise missiles - this turret consists of 22 launch tubes, each holding up to 7 cruise missiles, for a total of 154 missiles, for a single ship. Cruise missiles can be used to engage surface targets at great ranges, beyond enemy defenses, and the Ohio can even remain submerged during launch.

The USS Ohio conducted an official track throughout the summer of 1981, before being handed over to the US Navy in October of that year, where the ship began official sea operations. She was updated throughout 1982 with multiple trips and various tests, especially her launch facility. During an overhaul in 1993, she received the latest modern systems to keep the vessel as viable and performant as ever. Further patrols followed until the new millennium when several Ohio-class ships were converted to the role of guided missile submarine (SSGN).

The USS Ohio has been in service with the U.S. Navy since completing this modification in 2006 and continues to serve as a deterrent around the world.

Submarines such as the USS Ohio can also be used for covert operations to deploy or extract members of special forces such as Navy SEALs.

Update July 2012: On July 11, 2012, USS Ohio (SSGN 726) entered its fourth major maintenance period (MMP) since switching from a ballistic missile submarine to a guided missile submarine in 2006. Ohio entered the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in mid-April (2012) and the vessel was in dry dock for 65 days (SSGN requires MMP deployment every 12 months). Civilians and the Blue and Gold crew of the Ohio worked together on the mission. During the MMP, many systems were repaired and upgraded, including sonar, radar, communications and navigation suites.

Standard inspections and repairs were also performed on the superstructure and control tanks for the depth and adjustment devices. Other upgraded systems include seaplanes and valves for seawater and aeration.

The USS Ohio has since returned to active duty and recertified for combat.

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