Ohio-class submarine

Ohio-class submarine

USS Michigan (SSBN-727) at a drydock, in November 2002, prior to conversion to SSGN.
Class overview
Name:	Ohio class
Builders:	General Dynamics Electric Boat
Operators:	United States Navy
Preceded by:	Benjamin Franklin class
Succeeded by:	Columbia class
Built:	1976–1997
In commission:	1981–present
Planned:	24
Completed:	18
Cancelled:	6
Active:	18
General characteristics
Type:	SSBN/SSGN (hull design SCB-304)
Displacement:	16,764 tonnes (16,499 long tons) surfaced 18,750 tonnes (18,450 long tons) submerged
Length:	560 ft (170 m)
Beam:	42 ft (13 m)
Draft:	35.5 ft (10.8 m) maximum
Propulsion:	1× S8G PWR nuclear reactor 2× geared turbines; 60,000 shp (45 MW)Fairbanks Morse auxiliary diesel 1× 325 hp (242 kW) auxiliary motor 1 shaft with seven-bladed screw
Speed:	12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) submerged (official) 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) submerged (reported)
Range:	Limited only by food supplies
Test depth:	+800 ft (240 m)
Complement:	15 officers, 140 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems:	BQQ-6 passive bow-mounted array (which includes BQS-13 fire control array) BQR-19 navigation TB-16 or BQR-23 towed array BQR-25 conformal array
Armament:	4 × 21 in (53 cm) Mark 48 torpedo tubes (Forward Compartment 4th level)
General characteristics SSBN-726 to SSBN-733 from construction to refueling
Armament:	24 × Trident I C4 SLBM with up to 8 MIRVed 100 ktTNTW76 nuclear warheads each, range 4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi)
General characteristics SSBN-734 and subsequent hulls upon construction, SSBN-730 to SSBN-733 since refueling
Armament:	24 × Trident II D5 SLBM with up to 12 MIRVed W76 or W88 (300–475 ktTNT) nuclear warheads each, range 6,100 nmi (11,300 km; 7,000 mi)
General characteristics SSGN conversion
Armament:	22 tubes, each with 7 Tomahawk cruise missiles, totaling 154

The Ohio class is a class of nuclear-powered submarines currently used by the United States Navy. The navy has 18 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 U.S. 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.