Replacement Of Ohio-Class Submarines Will Be Critical

Year by year, Americans learn about the decommissioning of the old workhorses of the U.S. Navy. In the early 1990’s, the battleships USS Iowa, USS New Jersey, USS Missouri, and the USS Wisconsin were decommissioned, following many in the years previous. More recently, aircraft carriers such as the USS Kitty Hawk and USS Constellation have been taken out of service and decommissioned. On December 11, the USS Norfolk, a Los Angeles-class attack submarine, was decommissioned. More surface vessels and submarines will certainly follow the same path as time goes on.

Submarines are a crucial component of the U.S.’s defense strategy. The U.S. submarine presently equipped with nuclear weapons are the 14 Ohio-class vessels. The Navy’s Ohio-class submarines are nuclear-powered vessels carrying approximately 50% of the U.S.’s inventory of nuclear weapons, and are the largest of U.S. submarines. They patrol the world in roughly 3-month cycles, allowing a changeover in crew and re-provisioning in between times at sea. They operate hidden beneath the surface and untraceable. As a result, other nations planning aggression never know if there are nuclear weapons close-by that could retaliate within an hour in response to an attack on U.S. interests.

The first of the Ohio-class submarines was commissioned in 1981, and these vessels have been of significant importance in Naval operations since. In 2029, though, the first of the Ohio-class vessels are expected to be decommissioned. Providing a replacement for these vessels has been the goal of the Ohio Replacement Program.

Until it ended in 1991 with the fall of the Soviet Union, the balance of nuclear power between the Soviets and the U.S. was important, perhaps critical, in preventing the outbreak of war. Each side knew that a nuclear attack would result in retaliation with no winner.

With the fading of the Cold War, the continued presence of nuclear weapons tended to drift from the consciousness of the public with the exception of concerns over the use of these weapons by terrorists. However, the incursion of Russia into the Ukraine has highlighted the continued need for the availability of nuclear force, including submarines, as a deterrent to a war between Russia and the West.

The need for a replacement for Ohio-class vessels and the timeline is critical. Designs for the replacement have been under development for some time. This past April, the U.S. Naval Institute News reported that the specification for the new submarine have finally been set. With a length of 560 feet, the Ohio replacement vessel will be the largest ever constructed by the Navy and will carry around 70% of the U.S. strategic nuclear warheads. Most of the rest would be divided between land-based ICBM’s and the U.S. Air Force’s bombers.

As reported by Forbes.com, the Ohio Replacement incorporates advanced power and propulsion systems. While the nuclear power system and steam turbines will remain, a direct propulsion drive system that does not require noisier reduction gears will reduce noise and therefore detectability by enemy sonar systems. In a cost saving measure, the new submarine will use the same Trident missiles used by the current Ohio-class submarines. Advanced sound-absorbing coating and sensing technologies will also be incorporated.

Delays in the development and construction of the replacement submarines could lead to the vulnerability of the U.S. if it becomes necessary to take almost 50-year-old vessels out of service without a replacement. This is especially important in light of Russia’s continuing advancement and construction of submarines and nuclear missiles. With conflicts constantly developing as time passes. the need for a well-designed replacement for the Ohio-class vessels will become crucial.