The US Navy's Ohio Class ballistic missile submarine could unleash its arsenal of nukes and rain nuclear havoc that may end the world. These weapon systems outclass even an entire carrier strike group's combined fired power, and these subs are silent with lethality to the extreme.
The United States submarine force is getting caught up by the Chinese and Russians in technology and quality, but Ohio is still advanced in some respects. It is only one of many nuclear subs in the USN that outnumbers similar forces.
Even with the awesome destructive weaponry it has, it would be replaced by another generation of updated subs. Gradually, Ohio will come to serve with the new Columbia class which are ballistic missile subs that are more advanced.
The harbinger of destruction
The Ohio class is designed to destroy cities and military targets if anyone presses the button for mutual destruction. But its presence will be about deterrence, reported Nationalist Interest.
But when the Cold War came to an end, there was no need to keep the threat of Armageddon anymore. Nuclear deterrence was not such a priority for the US as before.
Wisely, the USN would have scrapped and mothballed their Armageddon bringers, but four of the oldest were saved. Now, the navy had decided on the conversion to fire Tomahawk land attack missiles for $700-900 million each.
They were refitted from US Navy's Ohio Class ballistic missile submarine to Ohio-class guided-missile submarines, for attacking targets with non-nukes. These nuclear subs have done their nuclear refueling, overhaul, and weapons upgrade in 2003, finished in 2006, with other boats in 2008.
Ready to fight!
What made these subs highly destructive is its 24-four tubes of Trident ballistic missiles that were more potent than conventional missiles. The loss of tridents did not lessen its lethality with a total of 154 Tomahawks that are able to be ripple fire in succession with destructive power incomparable to all weapon systems.
A Tomahawk cruise missile is worth $1.5 million, equipped with a 1-ton warhead that can hit any target from 1000 miles away, with GPS to guide it autonomously. A loaded Ohio has about $200 million in missiles inside it.
Adapting the Ohio class for a non-nuclear conflict is aimed at China, Russia, and Iran. This could be another application of a lethal cold war weapon. Even the nuclear bomber was recalled to service as prospective carriers of the next generation hypersonic weapon.
Like all American weapon systems, the refitted Ohio SSGN or converted ICBM to missile carrier is still good for more than one mission, cited Naval Technology. Two of the missile silos are now used for undersea airlocks for sending out Navy seals on special ops, and setting out underwater unmanned vehicles (UUV), SEAL delivery vehicles (SDV), even sonar buoys and other equipment.
Participation in above-water operations when the US wanted to make adversaries aware of its potent display of the USN's power. In 2010, the Chinese were subject to this naval display in Ohio, Florida, and Michigan when test-firing missiles from Diego Garcia, Philippines, and South Korea, as noted by War is Boring.
The US Navy's Ohio Class ballistic missile submarine conversion to a missile carrier did not diminish it but showed how it can be as deadly in another role.
