USS Ohio (SSGN-726 / SSBN-726) Nuclear-Powered Guided Missile Submarine / Ballistic Missile Submarine (1981)
Before becoming the SSGN-726 as a guided missile submarine, the USS Ohio fought under the SSBN-726 designator as a ballistic missile submarine.
The USS Ohio was ordered on July 1st, 1974 with her construction contracted out to General Dynamics Electric Boat - the boat being produced from pre-completed sections. Her keel was laid down on April 10th, 1976 and she was officially launched on April 7th, 1979 - politics and shipyard issues delaying formal trials for some time. The vessel was formally commissioned on November 11th, 1981 (Veterans Day) and she went on to make her home port out of Bangor, Washington in the American northwest, fighting under the official motto of "Always First" (as well as the unofficial "First and Finest"). The USS Ohio represented the lead ship of the Ohio-class of warships which went on to include the USS Henry M. Jackson, the USS Alabama, the USS Alaska, the USS Nevada, the USS Tennessee, the USS Pennsylvania, the USS Florida, the USS Georgia, the USS West Virginia, the USS Kentucky, the USS Maryland, the USS Michigan, the USS Nebraska, the USS Rhode Island, the USS Maine, the USS Wyoming and the USS Louisiana. Only four of these vessels - the USS Ohio, the USS Michigan, the USS Florida and the USS Georgia would be selected for the upcoming SSGN modifications. The USS Louisiana represented the last completed Ohio-class submarine.
Outwardly, the USS Ohio was designed with a conventional shape - essentially a tube with stabilization and control fins as well as the requisite conning tower. The tower was held ahead of amidships with dive planes emanating from the sail sides. The overall hull design was relatively featureless and sported a well-rounded nose cone and tapered stern. The stern managed the propeller as well as the rudder planes. The USS Ohio displaced at 16,500 long tons when surfaced and 18,450 long tons when submerged. She fielded a 560 foot overall length with a beam measuring 42 feet. Power came from a single S8G PWR series nuclear reactor that fuels 2 x geared turbines. An auxiliary motor provided up to 325 horsepower. The single propeller shaft operated with an output of 60,000 shaft horsepower allowing for surfaced speeds of up to 12 knots and submerged speeds of over 20 knots. Due to her nuclear propulsion suite, the range of the USS Ohio was essentially unlimited, capped only by her ability to keep food stores supplied and crew morale in check. The vessel was crewed by approximately 155 personnel made up of 15 officers and 140 sailors.
The USS Ohio was categorized as an "attack submarine" and, as such, she was armed with an offensive-minded stock consisting of torpedoes and ballistic missiles. Her design was such that she was completed with 4 x 21" (530mm) torpedo launch tubes in the bow section of the hull. This weapon allowed for engagement of enemy surface vessels and submarines alike. The more potent arm of the Ohio weapons suite was her 24 x Trident series submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) - forming the "first strike" thermonuclear reach of the United States Navy for a time.
Perhaps the oft-overlooked part of the submarine was its powerful array of sensors which allowed the crew to remain undetected and track potential threats in turn. The USS Ohio was fitted with the BQQ-6 series sonar at the bow while a BQR-19 system handled navigation. The BQS-13 was an active sonar array while the TB-16 was a towed sonar array. Altogether, these systems - in conjunction with their well-trained operators - allowed the USS Ohio to be a highly-feared vessel of the deep for some time - a level of respect carried over to this day.
After her SSGN modifications, the USS Ohio replaced her Trident missile stores with Tomahawk cruise missiles - this battery consisting of 22 launch tubes each fitting up to seven cruise missiles for a total of 154 missiles, a massive amount of firepower for a single vessel. The cruise missile could be used to engage surface targets at very long ranges, out of the range of enemy defenses, and the Ohio could even remain submerged during launch.
The USS Ohio formally underwent trails throughout the summer of 1981 before being handed over to the US Navy in October of that same year to which the vessel began formal operations at sea. She was brought up to speed throughout 1982, conducting various voyages and undergoing various tests, particularly of her launch facilities. A refit period in 1993 saw her updated with modern systems to keep the vessel viable and as potent as ever. More patrols then followed until the new millennium which saw several of the Ohio-class boats revised to the guided missile submarine (SSGN) role. Since completion of this modification in 2006, the USS Ohio has remained in active USN service, continuing the role of deterrent the world over.
Submarines like the USS Ohio can also be used in clandestine operations, inserting or extracting special forces elements such as Navy SEALs.
Update July 2012: On July 11, 2012, the USS Ohio (SSGN 726) completed her fourth Major Maintenance Period (MMP) since her 2006 conversion from a ballistic missile submarine to a guided-missile submarine. Ohio entered the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility in mid-April (2012) to which the boat spent 65 days in dry dock (an SSGN requires a MMP for every 12 months of deployment). The combined efforts of the civilian workmen and the Ohio's Blue and Gold crews accomplished the job. Repair and upgrades during the MMP were on a number of systems including sonar, radar, communication and navigation suites. Also standard checks and repairs were made on the superstructure, and controlling tanks for depth and conditioning units. Additional systems upgraded were water planes and valves used for seawater and ventilation.
USS Ohio has since returned to active duty and is recertified for combat. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
MilitaryFactory.com does NOT sell equipment/weaponry. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information. Our disclaimer. Email corrections / Comments to MilitaryFactory at Gmail dot com.
Specifications for the
USS Ohio (SSGN-726 / SSBN-726)
Nuclear-Powered Guided Missile Submarine / Ballistic Missile Submarine
Country of Origin: United States
Initial Year of Service: 1981
Operators: United States
Crew: 153
Length: 560ft (170.69m)
Beam: 42ft (12.80m)
Draught: 38ft (11.58m)
Displacement: 16,765tons
Machinery: 1 x S8G nuclear reactor.
Surface Speed: 12kts (14mph)
Submerged Speed: 20kts (23mph)
Range: Essentially Unlimited
Armament:
ORIGINAL SSBN CONFIGURATION:
4 x 533mm torpedo tubes (Mk48 torpedoes)
24 x Trident I/II SLBM (missiles)
SSGN MODIFICATION:
4 x 533mm torpedo tubes (Mk48 torpedoes)
154 x BGM-109 Tomahawk surface-to-surface cruise missiles.
Ship Class: Ohio-class
Number-in-Class: 18
Ships-in-Class: USS Ohio (SSBN-726/SSGN-726); USS Michigan (SSBN-727/SSGN-727); USS Florida (SSBN-728/SSGN-728); USS Georgia (SSBN-729/SSGN-729); 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 Wyoming (SSBN-741); USS Louisiana (SSBN-742)
BY TYPE:
• Age of Sail
• Aircraft Carriers
• Escort Carriers
• Amphibious
• Amphibious Assault
• Battlecruisers
• Battleships
• Cargo Ships
• Corvettes
• Cruisers
• Destroyers
• Destroyer Escorts
• Dreadnoughts
• Pre-Dreadnoughts
• Personal Watercraft
• Frigates
• Helicopter Carriers
• Ironclads
• Mine Warfare
• Patrol Craft
• Special Forces Watercraft
• Special Purpose
• Submarines
• Steam and Sail Warships
• Torpedo Boats
• VIEW ALL
BATTLESHIPS:
• Battleships
• 2nd Class Battleships
• Pocket Battleships
SUBMARINES:
• Diesel-Electric Submarines
• Ballistic Missile Submarines
• Midget Submarines
• Nuclear Attack Submarines
• VIEW ALL
• VIEW ALL
WORLD WAR 2:
• Aircraft Carriers
• Battleships
• British Warships
• Destroyers
• French Warships
• German Warships
• German U-Boat Submarines
• Italian Warships
• Japanese Warships
• American Warships
• Submarines
• WW2 Warships (ALL)
VIETNAM WAR:
• VIEW ALL
MISCELLANEOUS:
• Battle of Trafalgar
• Civil War Ships
• How Submarines Work
• Modern Aircraft Carriers
• Modern Warships
• United States Navy Carriers
• United States Navy Classification
©2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • Content ©2003-2013 MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Site Contact Email: militaryfactory at gmail dot com. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® trademarks and protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws.
Top MF Stuff: 2013 Military Pay Scale | Military Ranks | WW2 Weapons | Sniper Rifles | Kts to Mph | WW1 Aircraft | Automatic Rifles | Aircraft Cockpits | Vietnam War Weapons | Main Battle Tanks | Submachine Guns | Shotguns | French Military Victories
Most photographic images appearing on this site are courtesy of the United States Department of Defense and are approved for public use. Other images acquired through the public domain. Digital art work courtesy of Dan Alex. Business Consulting by Kyle Williams. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information.
