thumb|right|300px|USS FloridaA
cruise missile submarine is a submarine that can launch
cruise missiles.
SSGN is the
United States Navy hull classification symbol for a
nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine. The
SS denotes "Ship, Submersible" (i.e. submarine), the
G denotes "
guided missile," and the
N denotes "nuclear powered."
U.S. Navy
The first SSGN in the U.S. Navy was . She was built to launch the nuclear
Regulus Missile in the 1950s. When the Regulus program ended in 1964, she became SSN-587.
The U.S. Navy modified the four oldest
Trident submarines to SSGN configuration. This was achieved in 2002 to 2008 by the installation of
vertical launching systems (VLS) in a configuration dubbed "multiple all-up-round canister (MAC)", which equips 22 of the 24 missile tubes, which previously held one large nuclear strategic ballistic missile, with 7 smaller
Tomahawk cruise missiles. The 2 remaining tubes are converted to
lock out chambers (LOC) to be used by
special forces personnel who can be carried on board. This gives each converted sub the capability to carry up to 154 Tomahawk missiles. The MAC tubes can also be used to carry and launch
UAVs or
UUVs which give the ship remote controlled "eyes & ears" allowing the ship to act as a forward-deployed command & control center. If the maximum of 154
Tomahawk missiles were loaded, one
Ohio class SSGN would carry an entire Battle Group's equivalent of cruise missiles. Despite the increase in
stand-off strike capabilities, this conversion counts as an arms reduction against the
START II treaty (because it reduces the number of nuclear weapons that are forward-deployed).
Ohio (SSGN-726) completed its conversion and began
sea trials in early 2006. Since that time, , , and the have rejoined the fleet in the new configuration.
Florida conducted the initial testing required to determine whether the SSGN implementation was feasible. This included the first launching of a Tomahawk missile from the SSGN platform
.
Russian/Soviet Navy
The
Soviet Navy had several submarines that were called SSGNs by Western observers. These were armed with
anti-ship missiles such as the
SS-N-19 or land attack missiles. They were given the
NATO reporting names Golf,
Echo,
Yankee,
Charlie and
Oscar.
Today the Russian Navy operates 8-10
Oscar class submarines which carry the
SS-N-19 long range anti-ship missile.
See also
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