An unarmed Trident II D5 missile was launched from the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine
USS Wyoming (SSBN 742) off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
This was part of Demonstration and Shakedown Operation (DASO) 31. This launch was part of
the U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Program’s DASO certification process. The main goal of DASO is
to evaluate and demonstrate the readiness of the SSBN’s Strategic Weapon System (SWS) and
crew before operational deployment following the submarine’s engineered refueling overhaul.
This launch marks 184 successful missile test flights of the Trident II
Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM).
Vice Adm. Johnny R. Wolfe, director of the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs. Further,
“Today’s [Sept. 17] test demonstrates the unmatched reliability of our sea-based
nuclear deterrent, which is made possible by a dedicated team of military, civilian and industry
partners who bring expertise and dedication to the mission that is truly extraordinary”
In this video, Defense Updates analyzes why Russia & China have reasons to be afraid of
Trident II D-5 missile-armed Ohio class submarines of U.S Navy?
Let's get in the details.
The US navy has 18 Ohio-class submarines: 14 ballistic missile submarines (SSBN)
and 4 that were later converted to guided missile submarines (SSGN).
SLBM armed Ohio SSBN
is the sea-based leg of the nation’s strategic nuclear deterrent Triad that also includes the
U.S. Air Force’s intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and nuclear-capable bombers.
Ohio class is the most survivable leg of the triad and the ultimate nuclear deterrence.
The logic of nuclear deterrence is like this,
while a first strike might wipe out a country’s land-based missiles and nuclear bombers,
it’s very difficult to track a ballistic-missile submarine patrolling quietly in the depths of
the ocean and it is almost impossible to take them all out in a first strike.
So, ballistic-missile submarines deter any enemy from launching a preemptive first strike.
The Ohio-class submarines are the largest submarines ever built for the U.S Navy
having a displacement of 16764
tons. These have a length of 560 ft (170 m) and have a speed of around 20 to 25 knots.
Being nuclear powered it has unlimited range and endurance, limited only by food supplies.
Each Ohio-class submarine has two crews of 154 officers and enlisted personnel, designated Gold
and Blue, who take turns departing on patrols that last an average of 70 to 90 days underwater—with
the longest on the record being 140 days by the USS Pennsylvania. An average of a month is spent
between patrols, with resupply facilitated by 3 large-diameter supply hatches.
The submarines of this class have multiple sensors.
The surface search, navigation, and fire control radar is BPS 15A I/J-band
radar. The sonar suite includes: IBM BQQ 6 passive search sonar, Raytheon BQS 13, BQS 15 active and
passive high-frequency sonar, BQR 15 passive towed array from Western Electric and the active BQR 19
navigation sonar from Raytheon. Kollmorgen Type 152 and Type 82 periscopes are fitted.
Ohio-class submarines also come armed with four 21-inch tubes that can launch Mark 48 torpedoes.
Mark 48 torpedo has a range of 50 km or 31 miles. it has 650 lb (290 kg) high explosive warhead.
However, these are intended primarily for self-defense—a
ballistic missile submarine’s job isn’t to hunt enemy ships and submarines,
but to lie as low and quiet as possible to deny rivals any means of tracking their movements.
The first 8 Ohio-class boats were originally built to launch the Trident I
C4 ballistic missile—an advanced version of the earlier Poseidon SLBM.
However, by now all of these are armed with the superior Trident II D5 ballistic missile.
Trident II was designed to be more advanced than its predecessor Trident I.
Trident II is put into service in 1990, it has a greater range and
payload capacity compared to Trident I. The missile is 13.579 m in length,
2.11 m in diameter and weighs in at 58.5 tonnes. It is a three-stage rocket, each stage
containing a solid-fuel rocket motor. It is thought to have an accuracy of 90 m CEP
Trident II has a range of 11000 km or 6835 miles and Ohio class
ballistic missile submarines carries 24 of these. Trident II is a Multiple
Independently targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) missile
Each Trident II can carry up to 14 W88 (475 kt) warheads or 14 W76 (100 kt) warheads.
To give the viewer a perspective,
Little Boy atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima had a yield of 15 kt of TNT
and Fat Man atomic bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki had a yield of 21 kt of TNT.
New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty)
between the United States and the Russian Federation agreed on having
only 8 warheads per missile, so currently, each Trident II are armed with 8 warheads.
In short, a full salvo from an Ohio-class submarine—which can be launched in less
than one minute—could unleash up to 24 multiple 8 i.e. 192 nuclear warheads.
This is enough to obliterate huge landmass.
The 14 Ballistic Missile Submarines of Ohio class together
carry approximately 50% of the total US active inventory of strategic thermonuclear warheads.
A credible, effective nuclear deterrent is essential to the national security of the U.S.
Not only this, but U.S is also,
directly and indirectly, responsible for the security of many nations including NATO members.
Ballistic Missile submarines are the cornerstone of America’s nuclear posturing
and will remain so for foreseeable future.
Viewers may note that the President of the United States can authorize a nuclear attack from fixed
command centers, such as the White House Situation Room or also through 'Nuclear Football'. Nuclear
football is a briefcase, that contains codes that can be used by the President of the United States
to authorize a nuclear attack while away from fixed command
centers. The president is always accompanied by a military aide carrying the "football”.
In case an adversary undertakes a misadventure like uses nukes,
the Ohios will spring into action.
The firepower is so immense that American rivals
like Russia or China are wary of retribution from the Ohios.