Ohio (SSGN-726)

USS Ohio (SSGN-726) is the lead boat of the Ohio class and was converted from a ballistic-missile submarine into a guided-missile submarine. The SSGN conversion gave the U.S. Navy a stealthy platform for large-volume cruise-missile strike, special operations support, and persistent forward presence.

Converted Ohio-class SSGNs can carry large numbers of Tomahawk cruise missiles and support special operations forces through modified missile tubes and lockout arrangements. That gives one submarine the ability to deliver substantial conventional strike from a concealed position while also acting as an undersea staging platform.

The Ohio SSGN force is important because it converts nuclear-deterrent hull capacity into conventional precision-strike capacity. In a crisis, an SSGN can arrive without the visibility of a carrier group, hold many targets at risk, and complicate an opponent's planning without immediate escalation to nuclear signaling.