Latest news with #SSBNs
Newsweek
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Reveals Movements of Navy's Nuclear-Armed Submarines
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The United States has disclosed the movements of its submarines—armed with nuclear missiles—for the second time this month, demonstrating its deterrent capability. The Submarine Group Ten, which oversees operations of the Atlantic ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) fleet, told Newsweek that it could not discuss submarine schedules or deployments because of operational security concerns. The unit is assigned with six SSBNs. Why It Matters The U.S. Navy operates a fleet of 14 nuclear-powered Ohio-class SSBNs, each capable of carrying up to 20 ballistic missiles. Eight of these submarines are based at Bangor, Washington, while the remaining six are homeported at Kings Bay, Georgia. The SSBN fleet forms part of the U.S.'s "nuclear triad," alongside strategic bombers and land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles to deter adversaries. The U.S. Navy rarely publicizes SSBN operations as the submarines are designed for deterrent patrols and launching missiles if necessary. One of the SSBNs, USS Kentucky, conducted an escort drill with helicopters in the Pacific, the Navy said on May 2. What To Know In a set of undated photos shared by the Submarine Group Ten on Facebook on May 15, USS West Virginia was seen making final preparations to depart its home port—Kings Bay—for "routine operations" in support of the country's strategic mission. The submarine was operated by its "Blue crew," one of two crew teams that alternate manning it. This two-crew system maximizes the SSBN's availability and reduces the number of submarines needed to meet strategic requirements, according to the U.S. Navy. This marked the second publicized departure of the West Virginia in more than two months. The submarine—manned by its "Gold crew"—was seen preparing to depart on March 12 for a strategic mission, according to photos released by the Submarine Group Ten. Meanwhile, USS Tennessee, another SSBN assigned to the Submarine Group Ten, was seen exiting a dry dock at Kings Bay following "months of hard work" of maintenance, according to an undated short video released on the unit's Facebook page on Monday. The Submarine Group Ten told Newsweek that its mission is to deliver "combat ready forces" by ensuring its submarines "are properly manned, trained, equipped and certified to conduct decisive combat operations around the world." On the West Coast, the Submarine Group Nine announced that USS Henry M. Jackson, one of eight SSBNs assigned to the unit, returned to its home port at Bangor on May 15 following a routine strategic deterrent patrol, according to photos released on Thursday. Strategic deterrence relies on a safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent force, said the Pacific Northwest-based unit, which oversees submarine operations in the region. The United States Navy ballistic missile submarine USS Henry M. Jackson arriving at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in Washington following a routine strategic deterrent patrol on May 15. The United States Navy ballistic missile submarine USS Henry M. Jackson arriving at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in Washington following a routine strategic deterrent patrol on May 15. Lt. Zachary Anderson/U.S. Navy What People Are Saying The U.S. Submarine Group Ten wrote on Facebook: "This is a testament to [Team Kings Bay's] commitment to keeping our fleet ready and capable. This Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine [USS Tennessee] is one step closer to resuming its vital role in our nation's strategic deterrence mission." The U.S. Submarine Group Nine said on its webpage: "Ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) serve as an undetectable launch platform for intercontinental ballistic missiles. They are considered the survivable leg of the strategic deterrent triad, the others being long-range manned aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles." What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether the U.S. SSBN fleet will conduct any test launches of its submarine-launched ballistic missiles, which can deliver nuclear warheads to targets more than 7,400 miles away, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
US air-sea platforms for nukes at end-of-service period: Report
This is a representational image MUMBAI: The cost to operate, sustain, and modernize current nuclear forces and purchase new ones in the US will shoot up to $946 billion over the 2025-2034 period — 25% higher than the 2023 estimate — which works out to an average of about $95 billion a year, according to the latest estimate of the US Congressional Budget Office The report released in April shows that the estimate includes $357 billion to operate and sustain current and future nuclear forces and other supporting activities; $309 billion to modernize strategic and tactical nuclear delivery systems and the weapons they carry; $72 billion to modernize facilities and equipment for the nuclear weapons laboratory complex; $79 billion to modernize command, control, communications, and early-warning systems, and $129 billion to cover potential additional costs in excess of projected budgeted amounts estimated using historical cost report states that the current estimate of costs for the 2025-2034 period is 25% (or $190 billion) larger than its 2023 estimate of $756 billion, which covered the 2023-2032 period. The report states that nuclear weapons have been an important component of US national security since they were developed during World War the Cold War, nuclear forces were central to US defence policy, and a large arsenal was that time, nuclear forces have figured less prominently in defence policy than conventional forces have and, for several decades, the US did not develop and field new nuclear weapons or delivery systems, choosing instead to sustain or extend the life of existing report also points out that the nation's current nuclear forces are reaching their end-of-service period. US nuclear forces comprise submarines that launch ballistic missiles (SSBNs), land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), long-range bomber aircraft, and shorter-range tactical aircraft capable of delivering both conventional bombs and nuclear states that over the next two decades, these legacy weapon systems will have to be refurbished or replaced with new ones if the US were to continue fielding those capabilities. In addition, it says, many of the capabilities that support those nuclear forces — including the command, control, communications, and early-warning systems that DoD (department of defence) operates and the complex of laboratories and production facilities that DOE (department of energy) operates — are slated to be report also says the Sentinel ICBM programme has encountered significant cost growth in recent years.
Asia Times
21-03-2025
- Business
- Asia Times
Sinking ship: US undersea nuclear deterrent's plunging credibility
Delays and cost overruns in the US Columbia-class SSBN program threaten the credibility of its undersea nuclear deterrent and ability to match China's naval expansion.' The US Navy's plan to replace its aging undersea nuclear deterrent faces costly delays, raising concerns about the credibility of its posture and future ability to keep pace with China's naval expansion. This month, the US Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a report mentioning that the US Navy faces an estimated 12 to 16-month delay in the delivery of its first Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), threatening the timely replacement of aging Ohio-class SSBNs. The delay, attributed to shipyard workforce shortages, supply chain disruptions and component delivery setbacks—particularly Northrop Grumman's late turbine generators and Huntington Ingalls Industries' bow section—raises concerns about the impact on subsequent submarines. The US Navy is considering extending the service life of up to five Ohio-class boats to mitigate risks, but this strategy involves additional costs and logistical hurdles. Meanwhile, the simultaneous construction of Columbia-class SSBNs and Virginia-class attack submarines (SSNs) presents industrial-base challenges as shipyards and suppliers struggle to scale production. The US Navy and industry aim to increase Virginia-class production to two boats annually by 2028, yet the current output remains at 1.1-1.2 submarines per year. Rising costs compound the issue, with the Columbia-class program's procurement budget growing 12.1% in the past year alone. Further overruns could siphon funding from other US Navy shipbuilding programs, placing additional strain on the US Department of Defense's (DOD) long-term naval strategy. Amid ballooning costs and delays, the US may need to ramp up submarine production more urgently than ever. In an article this month for We Are The Mighty, Logan Nye mentions that, at present, China relies on anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) such as the DF-21D and DF-26B to keep US carrier battlegroups at bay from Taiwan. Nye points out those ASBMs are useless against SSNs that can evade them by diving. He also emphasizes that SSNs are self-sufficient for months, which may be critical if US supply chains in the Pacific are threatened. Further, in a 2024 American Affairs article, Jerry Hendrix suggests that SSNs may be considered the 'first response force' during a Taiwan conflict due to those advantages. However, Hendrix points out that the post-Cold War peace dividend eroded the US submarine industrial base, resulting in the US not having enough submarines when most needed. The situation is not much better for the US SSBN fleet, as it too suffers from a weak US submarine industrial base. The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) says that as of August 2024, 14 Ohio-class SSBNs form the foundation of the US sea-based nuclear deterrent. According to NTI, each Ohio-class SSBN has 20 missile launch tubes armed with the Trident II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). The report also says the US Navy is replacing these older missiles with the Trident II D5LE, which has an upgraded guidance system for improved accuracy. The report mentions that assuming the US Navy has 12 operational Ohio-class SSBNs with 20 launch tubes each and four warheads per missile, they have 960 warheads. However, it mentions that only 8-10 Ohio-class SSBNs are typically deployed at one time due to regular minor repairs, so the number of active warheads in the field may be closer to 720. The US Navy's plan to retire Ohio-class SSBNs at approximately one per year starting in 2027 raises concerns about the credibility and survivability of the US undersea nuclear deterrent since they carry 54% of the US deployed nuclear arsenal. Emphasizing the importance of the US SSBN fleet, Geoff Wilson and other writers mention in a February 2025 Stimson Center article that SSBNs are the cornerstone of the US 'finite deterrence' doctrine, with SSBN stealth and survivability disincentivizing a first strike that would eliminate all other nuclear forces, creating strategic stability at lower cost. Wilson and others argue that the US SSBN fleet can maintain deterrence against multiple targets at a lower cost than intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), which are less critical for deterrence than other delivery options such as bombers. However, a smaller US SSBN fleet could undermine the credibility of the US undersea nuclear arsenal. In a June 2020 article for The Strategist, Thomas Mahnken and Bryan Clark argue that while the US sea-based nuclear arsenal is the most survivable leg of its nuclear triad, it is also the most brittle. Mahnken and Clark argue that if an SSBN can't launch its missiles, communicate with commanders or is destroyed, all its missiles will be lost. They also highlight that losing only one SSBN on patrol could eliminate an entire leg of the nuclear triad. Further, they point out that the lethality of the US undersea nuclear deterrent has prompted near-peer adversaries like China and Russia to enhance their anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities to target US SSBNs. Emphasizing the potential fragility of the US undersea nuclear arsenal, they project that during the 2030s, it is probable that only one Columbia-class SSBN will be operational at any given time in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, supported by one or two vessels at sea as backup. Despite those fragility concerns, Owen Cote Jr mentions in a January 2019 article in the peer-reviewed Bulletin of Atomic Scientists journal that SSBNs remain the most credible deterrent for the US due to their unmatched survivability and stealth. Cote Jr. highlights the historical effectiveness of US SSBNs, particularly during the Cold War, when they proved resilient against Soviet ASW capabilities. He also addresses concerns about emerging technologies, such as AI and quantum computing, which could make oceans transparent. Regarding those concerns, Cote Jr says these fears are largely unfounded, emphasizing the US's advanced acoustic surveillance systems, such as SOSUS and the Fixed Distributed System (FDS), that can detect Chinese or Russian submarines alongside its favorable maritime geography encompassing vast swathes of the Atlantic and Pacific, make it exceedingly difficult for near-peer adversaries to detect its SSBNs. Further, Stephen Biddle and Eric Labs mention in a Foreign Policy article this month that while China's shipbuilding capacity dwarfs the US's by a factor of 230, US warships are typically larger and have superior sensors, electronics and weapons. Contextualizing submarine capabilities, Biddle and Labs mention that China's submarine force consists of mostly conventionally powered submarines, while the US operates an all-nuclear fleet of 49 SSNs, 14 SSBNs and four nuclear cruise missile submarines (SSGN). They emphasize that, unlike their Chinese counterparts, US crews have battle experience and superior training. However, Biddle and Labs say that China is building aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines in half the time it takes the US to make the same vessels. They caution that the US places itself at serious risk by assuming future wars will be short and that debates over the US-China naval balance should be tempered by considering the dynamics of competitive production for naval wars of attrition.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Yahoo
Our Best Look Yet At Britain's New Dreadnought Class Ballistic Missile Submarine Design
A detailed model has provided what's likely our best idea of how the U.K. Royal Navy's new Dreadnought class nuclear ballistic submarine, or SSBN will appear. The four Dreadnought boats represent one of the most important U.K. defense programs in many years and it's notable to see how many advanced features the design includes, as the Royal Navy seeks to find the optimum balance between speed, stealth, and incredibly destructive firepower. The four new SSBNs (known as 'bombers' in British parlance) will replace the Vanguard class that entered service in the 1990s. The impressive model of how the new Dreadnought is expected to look was presented recently at the U.K. House of Commons, as part of Rolls-Royce's nuclear portfolio demonstration during the government's 'Nuclear Week in Parliament.' A photo of the model from that event was subsequently published by the company on LinkedIn and appears at the top of this story. Rolls-Royce is responsible for designing and supplying the Pressurised Water Reactor 3 (PWR3) nuclear propulsion plant for the Dreadnought. In the past, the Royal Navy and the submarine's manufacturer BAE Systems have published artists' concepts of the SSBN, like the one above, but they have generally lacked this level of detail. The Royal Navy has, however, already published limited specifications for the boat, which include a displacement of 17,200 tonnes (18,600 tons) and a length of 153.6 meters (504 feet). As well as the overall highly streamlined hull form, the SSBN features a notably low-profile, raked sail, something that is increasingly common in modern submarine designs. Some designs have gone further still, replacing the previous tower-like sail with just a small fairing, as seen on the small Chinese submarine that appeared in 2019. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy is looking at the possibility of having its future nuclear attack submarines fitted with non-traditional sails, including ones that are inflatable, popping up when required, but otherwise concealed to preserve the submarine's speed, maneuverability, and acoustic stealth. The sail on the Dreadnought class is a less radical approach, but it clearly reflects the move toward smaller sails, driven by these requirements. On the model, the sail is topped with at least three periscopes and sensor masts. A relatively small pair of diving planes are installed in the sides of the hull, in a location immediately ahead of the sail. In front of the sail, on the top of the hull, there appears to be a post-like structure, which may well be an intercept sonar, as found in a similar location on British nuclear-powered attack submarines. The new model provides what's probably the best visual indication of how the SSBN's submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) will be configured within the hull, which has five deck levels. Compared with previous SSBN designs, the Dreadnought class also has a notably low-profile missile compartment aft of the sail. Rather than projecting out of the hull in a box-like fashion, as on some earlier SSBN designs, this area actually appears to be somewhat sunken into the hull. The missile section is actually divided into three separate missile compartments, each one comprising four missile tubes (known as a 'quad pack'), for a total of 12 tubes. The previous Vanguard class SSBNs have 16 missile tubes, but in practice, only eight are carried on patrols, to comply with treaty regulations. The U.K. Ministry of Defense has also said in the past that only eight of the 12 tubes on each Dreadnought class will be operational, with the other four being filled with ballast to ensure the boat remains stable. The reasoning behind the reduction in total missile tubes is not entirely clear but reflects a similar trend in the United States. The U.S. Navy's new Columbia class SSBNs will have 16 missile tubes, compared to 24 on the previous Ohio class SSBNs. However, four of the tubes on each of the Ohio boats were deactivated as a result of arms control agreements with Russia. Like the Vanguard class SSBNs that they will be replacing, the Dreadnought class will be capable of launching Trident 2 D5 missiles. A maximum of 40 warheads is currently carried on board the Royal Navy SSBNs when on deterrent patrol, each Trident missile being able to carry multiple warheads, or multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs). While each Trident can theoretically carry 14 MIRVs, depending on the type, 40 warheads on each patrol amount to approximately five per missile, although how the warheads can be spread across the missiles is variable. Currently, the Vanguard class SSBNs go to sea with Trident armed with a version of the U.S. W76 warhead, which dates back to the 1970s and is known locally as the Mk 4/A. For the Dreadnought class, the United Kingdom is developing the new A21 nuclear warhead. The A21 was previously known publicly simply as the Replacement Warhead Program and is also now called Astraea; you can read more about it and its progress here. The Astraea is being developed in parallel with the U.S. W93, which is expected to begin entering service in the 2030s, and the former may well be derived, at least in part, from the latter. Other armaments for the Dreadnought class submarines will include Spearfish heavyweight medium-range torpedoes, which will be launched from four 533mm torpedo tubes in the front of the hull. The rear of the SSBN reveals details of the pumpjet propulsion system as well as the X-rudders, which are installed for the first time on a British submarine. The pumpjet propulsor is designed to reduce the noise of the submarine, especially at high speeds. According to the Royal Navy, the Dreadnought class will be its quietest submarine yet and will be able to achieve a maximum speed of at least 20 knots. Its actual top speed will almost certainly be higher than this, with submarine performance figures generally being shrouded in secrecy. Generally speaking, pumpjets offer various advantages over propellers, above all the ability to reach higher speeds without noisy cavitation — this means they can transit long distances around much more stealthily. Pumpjets are also more efficient across most of a submarine's performance envelope and have particular advantages in shallow water. On the other hand, they are also heavy, costlier, and more complex than a propeller. Immediately ahead of the propulsor are the X-form rudders. According to the Royal Navy, 'Whereas previous submarines have used traditional rudders due to their speed and the depths at which they operate, improvements in control and safety now allow for X-form rudders.' As we have discussed in the past, an X-shaped stern configuration provides improved maneuverability, efficiency, and safety, and also helps reduce the acoustic signature across significant parts of the submarine's operating envelope compared to the more traditional cruciform system. The X-shaped stern configuration has become increasingly popular and is now found on other submarine designs around the globe, including the U.S. Navy's new SSBN, the Columbia class. However, while the fins on the U.S. design are staggered, with the two upper ones being mounted slightly further forward, those on the Dreadnought class are, according to the model, all mounted at the same position on the length of the hull. Not obvious from the model, the Dreadnought class will accommodate 130 crew members, including three chefs, and one doctor. For the first time in a Royal Navy submarine, the boats will also feature separate female crew quarters, toilets, and washing facilities. The Dreadnought class is scheduled to enter service starting in the early 2030s and the estimated total program cost of around $43 billion makes it by far the most expensive single U.K. defense program — this figure notably doesn't include the cost of replacing the warheads for the Trident missiles. The Dreadnought class is a very powerful expression of British military capability, putting it in an elite group of nuclear-armed nations. The program is also at the center of a warship-building program that should see the Royal Navy receive 28 warships and submarines, including the new Type 26 and Type 31 frigates, the Astute class attack submarines, as well as new Fleet Solid Support ships and Multi-Role Support Ships (MRSS), a new class of amphibious warfare vessels. This, in turn, is all part of a new-look military strategy, which includes a commitment to increase defense spending to 2.5 percent of national wealth by 2030. Production of the Dreadnought class will take place at BAE Systems' complex in Barrow-in-Furness, in the northeast of England, once work on the sven-strong Astute class is completed. The BAE's construction facility will undergo an upgrade costing hundreds of millions of dollars, which includes an enlargement that will allow it to build the Dreadnought class. In October last year, a 'significant' fire took place at the Devonshire Dock Hall (DDH) building in Barrow-in-Furness, as we reported at the time, although there are no reports that it will affect the timeline for the Dreadnought class builds. While we will have to wait a bit longer to see the first of the Dreadnought class taking shape at Barrow-in-Furness, the latest model presented by Rolls-Royce provides us with what's probably the most useful indication so far of the appearance of the Royal Navy's next nuclear ballistic submarine. Contact the author: thomas@
