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The United States has 18 ''Ohio''-class Submarine s:
The 14 Trident II SSBNs together carry around fifty percent of the total U.S. strategic warhead inventory. The exact number varies in an unpredictable and highly classified manner, at or below a maximum set by various strategic arms limitation treaties. Although the missiles have no pre-set targets when the submarine goes on patrol, the platform, when required, is capable of rapid targeting using secure and constant at-sea communications links. The ''Ohio'' class is the largest type of submarine ever constructed for the U.S. Navy , and are second only to the Russian Typhoon-class in mass and size. The ''Ohio''-class submarines were specifically designed for extended deterrence patrols. Each submarine is complemented by two crews, Blue and Gold, with each crew operating on a 100-day interval. To decrease the time in port for crew turnover and replenishment, three large logistics hatches are fitted to provide large diameter resupply and repair openings. These hatches allow sailors to rapidly transfer supply pallets, equipment replacement modules and machinery components, significantly reducing the time required for replenishment and maintenance. The class design allows the vessel to operate for 15+ years between overhauls. The ships are purported to be as stealthy at 20 Knot s (their cruising speed) as previous subs were at a dead crawl of 6 knots, although exact information remains classified. HISTORY The first eight ''Ohio''-class submarines were originally equipped with 24 Trident-I (C4) Submarine-launched Ballistic Missile s. Beginning with the ninth Trident submarine, USS ''Tennessee'' , the remaining ships were equipped with the upgraded Trident-II (D5) variant as they were constructed. The Trident-II missile carries eight Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle s ( MIRV s), in sum delivering more deterrence than the Trident-I and with much greater accuracy. Starting with USS ''Alaska'' in 2000 , the navy began converting the remaining C4-equipped submarines to D5 missiles; this will be completed in mid- 2008 . The first eight ships were homeported in Bangor, Washington to replace the Polaris (A3) carrying submarines that were then being decommissioned. The remaining ten ships were originally homeported in Kings Bay, Georgia , replacing the Atlantic-based Poseidon and Trident Backfit submarines. During the conversion of the first four hulls to SSGNs (see below), five ships, ''Pennsylvania'' , ''Kentucky'' , ''Nebraska'' , ''Maine'' , and ''Louisiana'' , were shifted from Kings Bay to Bangor. Further shifts are occurring as the country's strategic needs change. SSBN/SSGN CONVERSIONS After the end of the Cold War plans called for ''Ohio'' to be retired in 2002 , followed by three of her sisters. However, ''Ohio'', ''Michigan'' , ''Florida'' , and ''Georgia'' instead were slated for modification, to remain in service as conventional, guided missile submarines ( SSGN s). Beginning in 2002 through 2010 , 22 of the 24 88-inch (2.2 m) diameter Trident missile tubes will be modified to contain large Vertical Launch Systems (VLS), one configuration of which may be a cluster of seven Tomahawk Cruise Missiles . In this configuration, the number of cruise missiles carried could be a maximum of 154, the equivalent of what is typically deployed in a surface battle group. Other payload possibilities include new generations of Supersonic and Hypersonic cruise missiles, Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs), the ADM-160 MALD , sensors for anti-submarine warfare or intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, counter-mine warfare payloads such as the AN/BLQ-11 Long Term Mine Reconnaissance System (LMRS), and the Broaching Universal Buoyant Launcher (BUBL) and Stealthy Affordable Capsule System (SACS) specialized payload canisters. The other two Trident tubes may be replaced by swimmer lockout and equipment pods. For special operations, a minisub can be mounted on the bow and the ship will be able to transport a sizeable number of special operations personnel, such as the Navy SEAL s. On September 26 , 2002 , the Navy awarded GD Electric Boat a $442.9 million contract to begin the first phase of the SSGN submarine conversion program. Those funds covered only the initial phase of conversion for the first two ships on the schedule. Advance procurement was funded at $355 million in fiscal year 2002, $825 million in the FY 2003 budget and, through the five-year defense budget plan, at $936 million in FY 2004 , $505 million in FY 2005 , and $170 million in FY 2006 . Thus, the total cost to refit the four ships is just under $700 million per vessel. In November 2002 ''Ohio'' entered drydock, beginning a 36-month refueling and conversion overhaul. Electric Boat announced on 9 January 2006 that the conversion had been completed. ''Ohio'' rejoined the fleet in 2006 . She will be followed by ''Michigan'', ''Florida'', and ''Georgia''. These four SSGNs are expected to remain in service until 2023 - 2026 . ''OHIO''-CLASS SUBMARINES IN POPULAR CULTURE As ballistic missile submarines, the ''Ohio''-class has occasionally played a pivotal role in fictional books, movies, and games. At the beginning of the movie '' The Abyss '', the fictional ''Ohio''-class submarine USS ''Montana'' pursues a crashed UFO but collides in the process with an underwater mountain ridge, sinking with all hands in the Gulf Of Mexico . USS ''Alabama'' places a pivotal role in the film '' Crimson Tide '', when an attack interrupts an incoming message regarding the potential launch of the submarines SLBM s, ultimately resulting in mutiny centered around the Captain and Executive Officer . ''Crimson Tide'' at the Internet Movie Database Two '' and '' Debt Of Honor ''. In ''The Sum of All Fears,'' the ballistic missile submarine USS ''Maine'' is sunk by a Soviet Akula-class Submarine after a brief underwater battle.1 In ''Debt of Honor,'' the USS ''Tennessee'' , ''Nevada'' , ''West Virginia'' , ''Maryland'' , and ''Pennsylvania'' were dispatched to Japanese waters to aid with a U.S. surgical strike after the Japanese occupation of the Marianas Islands. The Tennessee was also reconfigured to service three RAH-66 Comanche helicopters during their outbound flight from Japan. All five ''Ohio''s were namesakes of battleships that were damaged or sunk during the Pearl Harbor Attack . The ''Ohio'' herself was briefly mentioned as having become "high-quality razor blades."2 REFERENCES Clancy,Tom (1984) The Hunt for Red October EXTERNAL LINKS
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