US Navy’s oldest guided missile submarine ready for return to operations

US Navy guided missile submarine USS Ohio (SSGN 726) will soon be ready for a return to operations after completing a 27-month overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility.

Originally the lead ship of the US Navy’s Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines, the submarine was converted into a guided missile platform.

The conversion ended when the Ohio returned to service as an SSGN in 2006.

The submarine has now once again received almost 400,000 man-days of work during her latest overhaul. Major repairs included preservation and structural work on the submarine’s sail, tanks and superstructure.

Ohio’s maintenance period began on April 25, 2017, when – fresh off a 20-month Pacific deployment – the ship arrived in dry dock for the start of its availability.

“Our central focus on the Ohio project has always been to provide the maintenance required to quickly return this naval warship back to the fleet in support of our national defense capability,” said Project Superintendent Christopher Byron. “Since joining the Ohio project, I have witnessed team members consistently demonstrating the values that our command upholds – integrity, teamwork, ingenuity, excellence and service.