by John M. Daniels, PAO Strategic Systems Program
This month, we observe a very special milestone in the undersea warfare community as we commemorate the 4,000th strategic deterrent patrol conducted by our Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) submarines. On July 20, 1960, USS George Washington (SSBN 598) performed the first submerged launch of a Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM), firing two Polaris A1 missiles off Cape Canaveral, Fla. A few months later, on November 15, USS George Washington departed Charleston, S.C. on the nation’s first strategic deterrent patrol. She was loaded with 16 Polaris A1 missiles, each with a range of 1,200 nautical miles. The patrol set a new record in time submerged for a submarine: 66 days, 10 hours. Since then, the SSBN and its associated weapons system continue to evolve to meet current and future threats and provide a credible, modern, and survivable strategic deterrence that can only be provided by the SSBN.
The Background
In 1945, the United States became the first nuclear weapon state when it developed and test detonated a nuclear device as part of the Manhattan Project. With an explosive power of 20 kilotons of TNT, the destructive capability that could be caused by this new weapon was fully realized.
After World War II, the alliance between the United States and the Soviet Union that had brought down the Nazi regime had ended. Between 1945 and 1947, tensions between the two world powers grew. Out of these tensions, two global alliances formed: the United States and its NATO allies, and the Warsaw Pact nations allied with the Soviet Union. In response to the U.S. atomic program, the Soviets detonated their first nuclear weapon in August 1949, thus kicking off what would become a nuclear arms race as part of the Cold War. In these early days, neither nation really had an effective means of weapons delivery, but that would soon change.
Second-strike and the Evolution of the Triad
The mere threat of the other side having nuclear weapons capability made both the United States and the Soviet Union nervous. In the 1950s, the concepts of the second-strike capability and nuclear deterrence emerged. To be considered viable, a second-strike capability is one that can survive a first-strike nuclear attack and be able to deliver a nuclear retaliation of sufficient magnitude. Initially, the United States’ means of delivery was through the U.S. Air Force’s fleet of bombers belonging to the Strategic Air Command. To meet the needs of second-strike capability, the Air Force kept nearly one-third of its bomber force either in the air or in an alert status with their crew ready to take off within 15 minutes. This proved to be very expensive and in reality wasn’t a guaranteed second-strike capability. These bombers, while effective with their flexibility and overt posturing, could still be shot down by Soviet air defenses. In the late 1950s, the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) was introduced. Like the bombers, the ICBM has its advantages, especially for initial strike capability, but it’s not the best choice for a second-strike capability. The solution would soon arrive and become the final leg of the Triad: the fleet ballistic missile (FBM) submarine.
Weapons of the Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine Fleet, (left to right):
Polaris A1, Polaris A2, Polaris A3, Poseidon, Trident I and Trident II.
The FBM Submarine and SLBM are Born
Submarines that could deliver strategic nuclear weapons became the answer to assured second-strike capability. Submarines would not only be hard to find, making them very survivable, but they could be deployed in such sufficient numbers that, even if they were discovered, there would be a low likelihood of them all being targeted.
On November 8, 1955, the Secretary of Defense directed the Army and Navy to jointly develop an Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) that would have both a shipboard and land-based capability: the Jupiter. A few weeks later, the Secretary of the Navy established the Special Projects Office (SPO) (later renamed Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) to handle the problems associated with the ship-launched weapon system. By late 1956, it was decided that the Jupiter, which used a liquid-fuel propellant, was not suitable for use on submarines, and development began on a missile using solid-fuel rocket motors. Less than two years later, the Navy completed its first land-based test flight of the Polaris missile.
Concurrent with the development of the missile (the payload) was the development of the platform—the submarine. In February 1957, the Chief of Naval Operations issued an order to have a missile and a submarine capable of firing it ready for operational patrol by 1965. By that summer, he had approved the design of the submarine. In 1958, construction began on the first three FMB submarines. The first one, USS George Washington, had originally been laid down as USS Scorpion but was cut in two and had a 130-foot weapons system section inserted. USS George Washington completed the Triad in late 1960 and provided reliable second-strike strategic nuclear capability in accordance with our national security policy.
Forty-one for Freedom and Ohio
The original FBM submarine force consisted of 41 submarines, authorized from 1957 through 1963 and delivered between 1959 and 1967. The first two classes, the George Washington class and the Ethan Allen class, consisted of 10 submarines that carried the three generations of the Polaris. The next 31 FBM submarines of the Lafayette class were all originally constructed to carry the Polaris but were converted from 1969 through 1976 to carry the Poseidon C3 missile. Subsequently, 12 James Madison and Benjamin Franklin-class submarines were backfitted to carry the Trident I C4 from 1978 through 1981. The last of the original 41 SSBNs were retired upon the return of USS Mariano G. Vallejo (SSBN 658) from her final patrol on April 2, 1994.
This legacy of assured strategic deterrence would be carried on by the Ohio class. Commissioned between 1981 and 1986, the first eight subs of this class were designed and armed with the Trident I C4 missile. The final 10 Ohio-class boats were designed for the Trident II D5 missile. Beginning in 2002, the first four Ohios were removed from strategic service and ultimately converted to Guided Missile Submarines (SSGNs). The next four Ohios were backfitted to accommodate the Trident II.
The Payload of the Platform
Just as we have gone through four classes of SSBNs, we have also gone through six generations of missiles and associated weapons systems. Each of these missiles provided greater range, which allowed for greater stand-off and added flexibility, both contributing to greater survivability. Each iteration of the missile has allowed the U.S. to continue to counter increasing or emerging threats. The Polaris I & II gave us that initial second-strike capability against Soviet ICBMs. The Polaris III’s increased range enabled us to strike targets farther inland and from farther away. The multi-warhead of the Poseidon countered the anti-ballistic missile threat and allowed for effective engagement of dispersed targets. The increased range that came with the Trident I further improved survivability and target reach. Finally, the advancements in accuracy of the Trident II assured effective engagements of even the most hardened targets. As we look forward, we don’t have a clear picture of what we will have to respond to, but we must be prepared.
USS Ohio (SSBN 726) with its missile tube doors open.
The Future
The Forty-one for Freedom and the follow-on Ohio-class submarines have ensured that the United States has remained strongly committed to maintaining a capable, effective, safe, and secure nuclear deterrent. Since November of 1960, our Navy has played a critical role in this mission, as demonstrated through the recent completion of 4,000 strategic deterrence patrols.
The Ohio class is an aging asset. Originally designed with a 30-year service life, they have undergone a service life extension to remain in the fleet for 42 years. As the current SSBN fleet begins retiring in 2027, it will be replaced by the Ohio Replacement (OR). The current fleet of 14 Ohio-class submarines with 24 missile tubes will be replaced by 12 OR submarines with 16 missile tubes. This reduced fleet size and payload capability are tailored to meet the U.S. Strategic Command’s mission requirements throughout the new boat’s 42-year service life. Deterrence remains a cornerstone of national security policy in the 21st century. The United States’ ability to maintain a strong, credible nuclear deterrent is a key element of U.S. national security and the security of our allies and partners.
The Trident II has demonstrated itself as an extremely reliable and effective strategic weapons system. Rather than develop a new missile system for the OR, extending the service life of the current system proved to be more cost-effective. The strategic weapons system is more than just a missile, it is a complex system of shipboard subsystems that include fire control, navigation, launcher, and missile subsystems that include solid rocket motors, numerous missile electronic packages, a guidance system, and reentry bodies. Each of these subsystems presents its own unique challenges in regard to life extension and modernization or replacement. Eventually, a new strategic weapons system will need to be developed. For now, though, a key benefit of Trident D5 life extension is that the Navy can avoid the risk of developing an upgraded or new weapons system at the same time it is building a new class of submarine.
Since the end of the Cold War, new countries have developed or acquired nuclear weapons, other countries are trying to develop nuclear weapons, and there are other, non-state players trying to acquire nuclear weapons. Even with the limitations of the current fiscal environment, we must continue to invest in our triad of nuclear forces for it to remain viable and credible. No mission is more important than maintaining nuclear deterrence to safeguard our nation. Ballistic missile submarines are infrequently procured and, because of this, they have not been a part of the Navy’s shipbuilding plan for more than 20 years. Infrequent procurement, however, does not negate their importance. The shipbuilding plan notes that annual average shipbuilding expenditures will exceed historical funding levels by about $6 billion from FY 2025 to FY 2034. This is consistent with shipbuilding funding requirements during the two previous SSBN procurement periods. The OR will be in service for more than 40 years, longer than any previous submarine class. It is imperative to keep the designing and building on schedule. America’s nuclear deterrent will remain a critical guarantor of our security. As long as nuclear weapons exist, the United States will maintain a safe, secure, and effective arsenal to deter any adversary and guarantee that defense to our allies.
John M. Daniels, Public Affairs Officer, Strategic Systems Programs