Extreme makeover complete, USS Ohio ready to rejoin the Navy’s fleet on a new mission

What once was the oldest Trident submarine in the fleet has been transformed into the Navy’s first guided missile submarine.

The USS Ohio entered Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in November 2002 as a fleet ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) and recently completed sea trials which tested its new capabilities as a modern guided missile submarine (SSGN), also known as a “Tactical Trident.”

“It’s great to be completing an arduous overhaul and conversion period and moving on to demonstrating the tremendous capability this ship brings to the fleet,” said Cmdr. Michael Cockey, Ohio’s commanding officer. “The Ohio crew will be pioneers in tactics and employment of this amazing class of ships.”

The USS Michigan, USS Florida and USS Georgia, the other three oldest Ohio-class submarines in the fleet, also are undergoing the conversion process estimated at a total cost of $1.4 billion. The Michigan entered the shipyard in March 2004 and is expected to rejoin the fleet in 2007 along with the Florida and the Georgia which are undergoing their conversions at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Va.

As an SSGN, the Ohio is capable of carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles compared to its former capability of 24 Trident ballistic missiles as an SSBN. The Tomahawk, built by the Raytheon Company, is the, “U.S. Navy’s ‘weapon of choice’ for critical, long-range

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