U.S. Navy withdraws Ohio's first strike submarine

On July 31 at the Kings Bay submarine base in the state of Georgia, the deactivation of the USS nuclear-powered submarine began. Georgia. The unit ends service after 42 years, beginning the process of withdrawing four modernized Ohio-type ships.

USS Georgia returned to its home base on July 27, ending the last operational mission. Four days later, according to schedule US NavyThe ship's deactivation process has begun. That doesn't mean it's being scrapped immediately. Following the removal of weapons, equipment and nuclear fuel, the hull is to be diverted to a nuclear submarine dismantling program conducted at the Federal shipyard.

From Trident missiles to conventional weapons

USS Georgia entered service on February 11, 1984 as a strategic submarine SSBN-729. While serving in the Pacific, he conducted 65 patrols under the American nuclear deterrence system.

After the Cold War, the United States reduced the number of strategic submarines of type Ohio. Four oldest units – USS Ohio, USS Michigan, USS Florida and USS Georgia – directed for conversion from ballistic missile carriers to impact submarines armed with Tomahawk maneuvering missiles.

USS Georgia was reclassified to SSGN in 2004, and in February 2005 went to Norfolk Naval Shipyard for renovation combined with nuclear fuel exchange and reconstruction. He returned to service in 2008.

In 22 of the 24 silos of Trident missiles, there were storage tanks containing seven Tomahawk maneuvering missiles. The ship could carry up to 154 missiles. The other two silos were rebuilt into mucus chambers allowing secretive metastasis and taking special forces operators. There were up to 66 additional soldiers on board.

Combat use of the USS Georgia during the last patrol

American media points out that USS Georgia was used in combat also during the last patrol. According to USNI News, the ship participated in U.S. targets attacks in Iran, carried out as part of Operation Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury.

A long-term plan for the construction of U.S. Navy ships published in May states that during Operation Midnight Hammer one of the impact submarines launched dozens of Tomahawk missiles, contributing to the destruction of Iran's most important nuclear program facilities. The document does not reveal the name of the unit, however USNI information News connects this launch to USS Georgia. 

His participation in both operations confirmed the importance of rebuilt Ohio-type ships. A single SSGN could have secretly taken a position to launch a large number of Tomahawk missiles against land targets, without the need to direct additional submarines to that area.

The successors will not replace SSGN ships one to one

After USS Georgia from service to leave the USS Ohio in 2027, USS Florida in 2028 and USS Michigan in 2029. All will then be directed for dismantling.

Their tasks are to be partially taken over by Virginia Block V and Block VI ships equipped with an additional section of Virginia Payload Module. The VPM section includes four large-diameter vertical launchers, each of which can accommodate seven Tomahawk missiles. Together with two forward VPT launchers, this increases the combined supply of this weapon from 12 to 40 rounds.

This means that four Virginia-type units will be needed to transfer the number of missiles comparable to that of an Ohio-type SSGN. New ships will be more modern and more difficult to detect, but none of them will take an equal number Tomahawks. The space for operators of special forces and their equipment will also be smaller.

With the withdrawal of subsequent SSGN ships, the American fleet will therefore lose the ability to deploy up to 154 Tomahawk missiles on one submarine. Inactivation of USS Georgia He's just starting this process.