by Kris Osborn, Warrior

A US Navy SSGN Guided Missile Submarine is a massive, lethal warmachine able to stretch nearly two 100–yd football fields and carry as many as 154 Tomahawk missiles. This kind of firepower arms all four of the service’s SSGN boats, undersea war platforms armed with massive firepower to bring land-attack support to any needed military campaign.

However, these boats, and the unprecedented firepower they bring, will be retiring in coming years, a scenario which has inspired the Navy to aggressively scramble for replacement undersea firepower. This replacement is coming in the form of the US Navy’s Block V Virginia-class submarines, attack submarines built with an extra 80-foot section to carry 28 additional Tomahawks per boat, something which brings the total firepower of the submarine up to 40 Tomahawks. The Navy is moving fast to accelerate production and delivery of these boats, yet they will need to “mass” in larger numbers to equal the firepower advantages offered by the SSGNs.. 

The SSGNs are the USS Ohio, USS Georgia, USS Michigan and USS Florida, heavily armed boats slated to retire from 2026 to 2028. Overall, the US Navy’s Ohio-class submarines have already operated years beyond their intended service life, and the anticipated retirement of four large submarines capable of 154 Tomahawks each retires a massive amount of collective firepower. 

Tomahawk Advantage

SSGNs have proven extremely valuable in key military campaigns, such as the attack on Libya in 2011 and the Gulf War; the ability to unleash “mass” precision fires at the beginning of a military campaign has proven decisive and impactful over the years, as Tomahawk weapons are often among the first to strike in a military operation. 

They can destroy fixed infrastructure, command and control areas, bunkers, leadership locations and force concentrations without putting attackers at risk. Tomahawks can travel as far as 900 miles at speeds greater than 550mph. Block IV Tomahawks have a loitering ISR function and a two-way datalink enabling them to receive new information in flight and adjust to changing target information.  While capable of precision strikes, they can also prove critical in any effort to “mass” firepower given the sheer volume with which they can deploy in an SSGN.  There is an interesting dynamic at play with this scenario, because while there have been tremendous breakthroughs in the realm of range, data networking and precision targeting with Tomahawks, there will still likely be a need for “mass” firepower in the event of great power conflict. Perhaps enemy air defenses can be targeted from the ocean or battlefield surveillance identifies weapons storage facilities or force concentration targets which can best be attacked by Tomahawks. 

Dwell Time

Mission longevity has also been a key factor for SSGNs, as they are capable of remaining at sea for continuous missions for nearly two years if needed. The USS Florida, for example, is an SSGN which traveled nearly 70,000 miles throughout the course of 700 days. This dwell time is quite significant from a tactical point of view, as a submarine able to sustain undersea operations for this length of time increases survivability and improves mission prospects.

This ability to sustain operations and project power is of particular relevance in areas such as the Pacific where a vast maritime geographical expanse might require extended deployments and a potential need for large-scale firepower. 

 For instance, a boat which has not needed to return to port can remain undersea in strategically vital locations and be in position to support clandestine undersea surveillance and attack. More specifically, these larger SSGNs are able to carry and deploy groups of Special Operations Forces seeking to conduct covert missions beginning with stealthy surprise undersea attack or reconnaissance operations. 

Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University