An inside look at the new Ohio SSGN.

On the deck of the USS Ohio, notice that its slightly wider on the corners of the hull.


Minisub on the back of the Ohio.



Small sub on the right.

It has awesome potentials and getting rid of nuclear weapons for special operations and Tomahawks was a great idea. After all we hardly ever used nukes.



2 of the converted missile tubes modified to launch Navy SEALs. Notice the doors.



A look inside one of the tubes.

It's great that we have a type of sub like this that not only is armed with cruise missiles, but can be used for launching military covert ops against selected targets. It reflects the way that warfare is being fought at the present time. Thanks for posting the pictures.

Deltaboy,

Very nice photos. I have not before seen them. THe first photo..shows some kind of a dry deck shelter on the hull of the boat. This appears to be a newer generation of dry deck shelter than the ones I saw under construction years ago. They seem to be much slimer in design.

Surface search radar is up in the first and second photos. On the foreward end of the sail structure. So is the multi purpose antenna Snorkel is the fat mast at the aft end of the sail structure.

Fourth and fifth photos down...the large round door has some kind of hyraulic or pneumatic actuator. Most likely hydraulic to maintain quietness. In short this is a power open/close door.
See the black seal or o-ring around the outside of the door just outside the locking lugs or what we call dogs. THe screw holes on the very outside ..that is a ring which holds the o-ring seal in place. Looks like you havet to disconnect the power open and close actuator and swing it out of place to change the door gasket/seal. THat is a large door. Must be quite a task to get that door to pass inspection if it has to be reworked.

Looking through the door into the missle tube area...The door on the missle tube itself. Compare that door to the hatch door I was speaking of in the previous paragraph. The missle tube door is not a high pressure door like the one with the dogs or knotchs of which I spoke. It has a gasket on it no doubt..but it is not as thickly constructed or have the dogs or locking lugs on it. This means that this area is not subject to water pressure. It is normally a dry area. Most likely the area above the laddder has the high pressure access hatch going up to the dry deck shelter or a free flood area.
THe other give away is that this door has open horizontal slats for ventilation....both sides of the door..inside and out. Also it is a simple angle latch mechanism just like on a door to a office.

THe other give away is that the hinges on these two doors is not of heavy construction as would be a high pressure hatch.

The little red manifold above the door where you see the person in the missle tube...that is a air manifold where you plug in a breathing apparatus in case of emergencys. You see the littel chains on them holding in protective caps. These are located throughout the boat for emergencys.

That is a very long missle tube section judging by the guy at the very far end. I am thinking that this is the lower level of the missle tube section.
Nice photo of inside the drydeck shelter showing the mini sub and equipment.

Thats a very big blue handwheel just inside the right of the hatch door looking into the missle tube section in the fourth photo. Notice also that there are two handwheel operators of the same type. One also upside down in the ceiling just like the one on the floor.

By the way...you do know that the Tomahawk can be configured in numerous ways..including "special configurtions"...Yes????

Thanks for the great photos,
Orangetom

TBH I'm very surprised it's taken them this long to move away from the old MAD type scenario when it comes to SSBNs.

Are all the Ohio class modified like this?

deltaboy thanks for the pics didn't even know they were in the process of making a sub (i really don't follow the navy a whole lot) but yeah looks pretty cool... everybody has already said how its great for the new wars so i wont waste any more of y'alls time

raptor1

Originally posted by DeltaNine
TBH I'm very surprised it's taken them this long to move away from the old MAD type scenario when it comes to SSBNs.

Are all the Ohio class modified like this?

DeltaNine,

To my limited knowlege only four of the SSBNs have been modified like this to conform to treaty arrangements. THe nuclear reactor cores still had plenty of life left in them and this was someones idea of getting more of the taxpayers money out of these hulls. Good idea too.
THese were very very expensive submarines to build back in those days. Great that someone was thinking of another way to get some life out of them.

One often doesnt fully realize or appreciate exactly how big these boats are until you see one from a satellite overhead and compare it to other submarines.

Orangetom

reply to post by orangetom1999


You mean like having Tomahawks acting like UAVs to gather intel, instead of just flying cruise missiles reaching their target?

Originally posted by orangetom1999

To my limited knowlege only four of the SSBNs have been modified like this to conform to treaty arrangements. THe nuclear reactor cores still had plenty of life left in them and this was someones idea of getting more of the taxpayers money out of these hulls. Good idea too.

4 SSBNs are being converted to SSGNs. First 4 Ohios built were chosen.

Also, they've been refueled as part of their conversion. Those are new cores.

reply to post by deltaboy


Capability similar to that is on the Block IV Tomahawks.

Originally posted by orangetom1999
Fourth and fifth photos down...the large round door has some kind of hyraulic or pneumatic actuator. Most likely hydraulic to maintain quietness. In short this is a power open/close door.

That's not a door, it's a watertight hatch to separate compartments.

Originally posted by oxillini

4 SSBNs are being converted to SSGNs. First 4 Ohios built were chosen.

Also, they've been refueled as part of their conversion. Those are new cores.

Really? Hmmmm....wonder if they properly disposed of the spent nuclear fissionable material? Could the Al Quida "dirty-bomb" attack be coming. That is scary stuff, my friends.

reply to post by percievedreality


The fuel is moved to a secure facility upon removal as is the case for all nuclear Navy refuelings.

Originally posted by deltaboy
reply to post by orangetom1999

 

You mean like having Tomahawks acting like UAVs to gather intel, instead of just flying cruise missiles reaching their target?

No Deltaboy,

When you see the term " special weapons" or special configurations in reference to weapons...it often refers to Nuclear.

Yes oxillini..correct..it is a watertight hatch between compartments. That is a watertight bulkhead with water tight hatch. Whenever I see dogs like that on a hatch I know it is a watertight hatch ..high pressure. Only heavy construction such as that can hold back sea pressure. You seldom used to see power actuators on watertight hatchs...as you do now days. Handcrank operating mechansms...yes..but not power operators.

Also i did not know that these boats had been refueled. Intresting..thanks for that tidbit.

percievedreality..Oxillini is correct. The olde fuel is a highly controlled and accounted for material as are many of the tools used in the process. You dont leave any of this stuff sitting around anywhere...even the tools. Many of the tools are controlled and tracked by serial numbers and other means.
All of this is a controlled accountability process.

Thanks,
Orangetom

reply to post by orangetom1999


The power actuators are nice, but not the only means of closing and securing that hatch.

The refuel means these boats will likely be cut up before they're ever able to use the full life of the new core.

Also, while Nuclear capable Tomahawks were developed, they are now banned by treaty and have been pulled from service.

reply to post by orangetom1999


Ahh okay. Forgot about the potential of having almost 200 missiles that can be nuclear if the situation leads to that.

Originally posted by raptor1
deltaboy thanks for the pics didn't even know they were in the process of making a sub (i really don't follow the navy a whole lot) but yeah looks pretty cool... everybody has already said how its great for the new wars so i wont waste any more of y'alls time

raptor1

great