According to information published by the U.S. Department of Defense on January 19, 2022,
the US Navy Ohio-class submarine USS Georgia (SSGN-729)
is currently operating near Limassol, Cyprus, in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
This is an unusual public disclosure of the location of USS Georgia, one of four of the
service’s converted Ohio class nuclear-powered guided-missile submarines, or SSGNs.
This is being seen as a move to deter Russia from taking any military action against Ukraine.
In this video Defense Updates analyzes
how the U.S. has sent a message to Russia by publicizing USS Georgia's Mediterranean Presence?
Let's get into the details
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Though the exact location Georgia visited in Cyprus wasn’t disclosed, U.S. Naval Forces
Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet is known to conduct training and logistical operations
at Naval Base Lieutenant General Evangelos Florakis in Mari, Cyprus
some 16 miles or about 26 miles from Limassol.
It means the boat is near Ukraine and in a position to take offensive actions if called for.
USS Georgia an Ohio-class submarine is the second vessel of the United States Navy to
be named for the U.S. state of Georgia. The contract to build her was awarded to
the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 20 February
1976 and her keel was laid down on 7 April 1979. She was launched on 6 November 1982.
In 1994, the Nuclear Posture Review study determined that of the 18 Ohio SSBNs
the Navy can operate in total, 14 would be sufficient for the strategic needs of the U.S.
The decision was made to convert four Ohio-class boats into SSGNs
capable of conducting a conventional land attack and special operations.
As a result, the four oldest boats of the class—Ohio,
Michigan, Florida, and Georgia—progressively entered the conversion process in late 2002
Georgia was redesigned to SSGN on 1 March 2004.
In August 2009, Georgia began its first SSGN deployment.
The conversion of USS Georgia modified 22 of the 24 88 inch or 2.2 m diameter Trident missile tubes
to contain large vertical launch systems, one configuration of which could be a cluster of seven
Tomahawk cruise missiles. In this configuration, the number of cruise missiles carried could be
a maximum of 154, the equivalent of what is typically deployed in a surface battle group.
Tomahawk is a long-range, all-weather, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile.
It uses a liquid fuel turbojet engine because it enabled greater range than a rocket engine
of roughly the same size. A slower speed also makes low-altitude flight more viable,
which in turn makes the missile much more difficult to detect by radar.
Depending on the variant the missile has a maximum range of 1,550 mi or 2,500 km
The missile can hit a target with excellent accuracy.
This is what gives the SSGN a massive standoff attack capability
It tactically means that USS Georgia can hit targets in Crimea, Ukraine, and Russia
with ease while cruising in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The vessel has four 21 inches (533 mm) torpedo tubes and is armed with Mark 48.
The Mark 48 and its improved Advanced Capability (ADCAP) variant is a heavyweight torpedo.
It is designed to sink deep-diving nuclear-powered submarines and high-performance surface ships.
It has a range of 50 km or 31 mi, can dive to a depth of about 800 m,
and has a maximum speed of 74 km/h or 46 mph.
For special operations, two the dry deck shelter can be mounted on the lockout chamber and the boat
will be able to host up to 66 special-operations sailors or Marines, such as Navy SEALs, or USMC
MARSOC teams. Improved communications equipment installed during the upgrade
allows the SSGNs to serve as a forward-deployed, clandestine Small Combatant Joint Command Center.
The then-Vice Admiral John Richardson, Commander of Naval Submarine Forces at the time,
said in 2019,
"By virtue of their concealment and endurance, the SSGN platform
forces our adversaries to consider that they could be operating almost anywhere at any time”
He then added,
“The sensor suite on the boat allows the captain to gather information and intelligence in situ,
passing that back to the commander and responding on the spot.
When you combine all that with the tremendous combat capability the boat brings – land attack
missiles, special forces, torpedoes – that's a lot of bets the enemy has to cover down on.”
While the US has not shown any intent to act militarily and has instead indicated that it
would retaliate diplomatically including the proposed ejection of Russia from the
SWIFT financial system, an intervention can't be ruled out.
In that situation, USS Georgia could inflict major pain on Russian forces.