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The 18 Ohio-class submarines are arguably the most destructive weapons on the planet. Here’s everything you need to know about these exceptional military machines. The 18 Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarines are some of the most exceptional military machines in human history, packing more nuclear or conventional firepower than any other platform on air, land, or sea. One leg of America’s nuclear triad, the subs are designed to be ultra-quiet, bristle with nuclear weapons, and survive to carry out their mission at all costs. The 14 nuclear-armed Ohio-class submarines ensure that hundreds of nukes are resting quietly in the world’s oceans, ready...

President Donald Trump said on Thursday he wants to build up the U.S. nuclear arsenal to ensure it is at the "top of the pack," saying the United States has fallen behind in its atomic weapons capacity. In a Reuters interview, Trump also complained about Russian deployment of a cruise missile in violation of an arms control treaty and said he would raise the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin when and if they meet. On another front, Trump said China could solve the national security challenge posed by North Korea "very easily if they want to," ratcheting up pressure...

The Navy’s imperative to provide “uninterrupted strategic deterrence” with its ballistic missile submarines requires it meets two goals: development of the new boats must stay on schedule, and the old boats must make it to the end of their expected service lives. The latter isn’t easy – the Navy is counting on the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) to stick around for 42 years each, something that’s never been done. The longest-serving American submarine, the boomer USS Kamehameha (SSBN-642), retired in 2002 after 36 and a half years of service. USS Ohio (SSGN-726) has been around for just over 34...

Pentagon deploys USS Wyoming amid tensions with Moscow nuclear-armed U.S. ballistic missile submarine arrived in Scotland this week amid growing tensions with Moscow over Ukraine and Russia’s strategic arms buildup. The submarine, the USS Wyoming, arrived at the British naval base at Faslane, Scotland, Wednesday morning for what the U.S. Strategic Command said is a routine visit. However, ballistic missile submarine movements and port visits normally are not announced by the Navy or the Strategic Command, an indication the Wyoming’s port call is intended as strategic messaging to Moscow. The submarine visit “demonstrates the closeness of the U.S./U.K. defense relationship...

In the last month, three of the four American SSGNs (former ballistic missile subs each now carrying 154 cruise missiles and SEAL commando teams) appeared in the Pacific and Indian oceans (the Philippines, South Korea and Diego Garcia). Some through this was a message for China, but, in fact, the SSGNs go where the potential trouble is. When questioned, U.S. Navy officials responded that, for the first time, all four SSGNs were operating at sea, in locations distant from their bases. Two years ago, the U.S. Navy completed the conversion of the last of four Ohio class ballistic missile submarines...

The Defense Department is seeking "alternative concepts" to cut the huge cost of acquiring new submarines armed with nuclear ballistic missiles that would patrol the world's oceans for decades to come, according to DOD's No. 2 policy official. Defense Secretary Robert Gates questioned the program's affordability last month, days before launching a broad push to find savings across the department. The new SSBN(X) subs would replace the existing Ohio-class boomers that DOD considers the most survivable leg of the nuclear triad. The Navy estimates the lead SSBN(X), slated for purchase in 2019, would cost $9 billion, and a dozen would...

Monday September 5, 6:35 PM U.S. diverting strategic nuke subs to Pacific to keep China in check(Kyodo) _ The United States is strengthening its strategic nuclear capacity in the Pacific by diverting its strategic nuclear submarines from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and upgrading nuclear warheads, in an apparent move to keep China and North Korea in check, U.S. Congress sources and nuclear experts said Sunday. The change in balance of the submarine fleet reflects a shift in the U.S. nuclear deployment strategy away from competing with Cold War rival Russia to demonstrating deterrence against China over flash...

General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp. (GD/EB) is being awarded a cost plus incentive fee contract worth $222 million for the conversion of the first Ohio Class Guided Missile Submarine (SSGN), USS Ohio (SSGN 726), and for Long Lead Time Material (LLTM) and Conversion Installation Planning for the Conversion of Ohio Class Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBNs), the USS Michigan (SSBN 727) and the USS Georgia (SSBN 729), to SSGN 727 and SSGN 729. Emphasizing the importance of SSGNs, Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England, said, “The SSGN is an example of the Navy's innovative transformation that supports our joint warfighters....