The USS Georgia is one of four Ohio-class submarines retroactively decertified from carrying nuclear weapons, in accordance with treaty limits.

The United States Navy’s Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Georgia (SSGN-729) passed through the East River and returned to its homeport at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia, earlier this week.

That journey marked the final return of the nuclear-powered submarine to the base, as it is set to be decommissioned on Friday after more than 42 years of active service.

America Has Nuclear-Missile Submarines That Don’t Shoot Nuclear Missiles

The boat is one of the four Ohio-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) to be converted to an SSGN at the end of the Cold War, and the first of that subgroup to be retired.

The remaining three vessels in the class—the USS Ohio (SSGN-726), the USS Michigan (SSGN-727), and the USS Florida (SSGN-728)—are all scheduled to be decommissioned by the end of the decade. Their retirements will result in a significant capability gap for the US Navy, as it reduces total missile firepower and specialized support for special operations. Each SSGN can carry up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, and retiring the four boats will reduce the number of vertical launch tubes in the stealth underwater fleet by 616 in total. Moreover, each of the four SSGNs is outfitted with large chambers that can deploy special operation forces and their equipment.

The capabilities of the four converted boats resulted in their being heavily tasked in operations around the globe.

The United States upcoming Block V Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines, which are to be outfitted with the Virginia Payload Module (VPM), will help the sea service recover some of the lost missile capacity. However, production delays with the new submarines will result in the US Navy not matching its current outgoing firepower volume for several years.

The Ohio-Class Submarines’ Specifications

• Year Introduced: 1981
• Number Built: 18 (24 ordered, 6 canceled)
• Length: 560 ft (170 m)
• Beam (Width): 42 ft (13 m)
• Displacement: 16,764 tonnes surfaced; 18,750 tonnes submerged
• Engines: One S8G PWR nuclear reactor; two geared turbines (35,000 shp)
• Top Speed: ~25 knots (29 mph, 46 km/h) submerged
• Range: Unlimited
• Armaments: Four 21-inch torpedo tubes; 20-22 additional torpedo tubes depending on variant
• Crew: 155 (15 officers, 140 enlisted)

What Exactly Is a “Cruise Missile Submarine”?

As the largest subs ever constructed for the US Navy, and the third-largest submarine ever built, the Ohio-class boats were designed to carry the concurrently developed Trident submarine-launched ballistic missiles. A total of 18 of the Ohio-class submarines were constructed by General Dynamics Electric Boat between 1981 and 1997.

However, according to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START II), which was agreed in June 1992, the number of US Navy strategic missile submarines was limited to 14 beginning in 2002. Rather than simply phasing out or decommissioning four of the boats, the US Navy opted to convert the oldest among them to conventionally armed nuclear-powered cruise missile submarines (SSGNs), decertifying them from nuclear weapons use.

General Dynamics Electric boat was awarded a contract in September 2002 to oversee the conversion, with each of those boats refitted with vertical launching systems, allowing the submarines to carry up to 154 Tomahawk TLAM (land attack) or Tactical Tomahawk (block IV) missiles. Now, after more than two decades, those four submarines are nearing the end of service life, beginning with SSGN-729.

Both Submarine Crews Back in the Peach State

This week’s arrival of USS Georgia at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay marks the first time the submarine has been in its namesake state in 17 months. It wasn’t just a homecoming for SSGN-729, but also for its “Blue” crew, which was operating the boat during its final deployment.

As with the US Navy’s SSBN submarines, the SSGNs are operated by two crews—“Blue” and “Gold”—which were flown to ports overseas to relieve the crew that was already at sea. The use of two crews maximized the operational time at sea, reduced the number of submarines in service, and helped prevent sailor burnout. When one crew was out on a patrol lasting 70 to 90 days, the other crew was rotated back on land, allowing a single submarine to stay deployed about 70 percent of the year. The names come from the traditional official colors of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis.

“It was an honor to lead Georgia Blue. Any mission, any time,” Captain Bill Breitfelder, commanding officer of the Blue crew, told The Brunswick News. “As a result of the crew’s hard work and dedication, the ship was always ready to do the nation’s work.”

Just two United States Navy vessels have been named in honor of the fourth state to join the union. 

The first, BB-15, was a Virginia-class battleship that was launched in October 1904 and commissioned two years later in September 1906, serving with the famed “Great White Fleet” that circumnavigated the globe. The battleship provided limited training as well as convoy escort during World War I. It later helped transport troops home from Europe, before being decommissioned in 1920.

SSGN-729 has already served as long as the former battleship. The submarine gained fame after making a rare surfaced transit of the Strait of Hormuz in early 2021.

About the Author: Peter Suciu 

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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