U.S. Navy
The U.S. Navy's first nuclear deterrent patrol submarines were five submarines equipped with the Regulus missile: USS Tunny (SSG-282), USS Barbero (SSG-317), USS Grayback (SSG-574), USS Growler (SSG-577) and USS Halibut (SSGN-587). Tunny and Barbero were modified World War II Gato-class submarines, while Grayback, Growler and Halibut were custom-made launch platforms. These ships were redesignated with the removal of the Regulus missile from service in 1964.
From 2002 to 2008 the U.S. Navy modified the four oldest Ohio-class submarines into SSGNs. The conversion was achieved by installing vertical launching systems (VLS) in a "multiple all-up-round canister" (MAC) configuration in 22 of the 24 missile tubes, replacing one Trident missile with 7 smaller Tomahawk cruise missiles. The 2 remaining tubes were converted to lockout chambers for use by special forces personnel. This gave each converted sub the capability to carry up to 154 Tomahawks. The MAC tubes can also be used to carry and launch UAVs or UUVs. 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. USS Florida launched cruise missiles against Libyan targets as part of Operation Odyssey Dawn in March 2011.
Read more about this topic: Cruise Missile Submarine
Famous quotes containing the word navy:
“We all know the Navy is never wrong, but in this case it was a little weak on being right.”
—Wendell Mayes, U.S. screenwriter. Otto Preminger. CINCPAC II (Henry Fonda)
“The Navy is the asylum for the perverse, the home of the unfortunate. Here the sons of adversity meet the children of calamity, and here the children of calamity meet the offspring of sin.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)