First converted SSGN to deploy overseas - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

First converted SSGN to deploy overseas

SAN DIEGO — Four years after it began a conversion to handle more weapons capabilities and special operations missions, the guided missile submarine Ohio will leave its Washington state home on Saturday on its first operational deployment, Navy officials said.

Ohio will depart from its pier at Kitsap Naval Base in Bremerton, Wash., for a deployment expected to last 15 months, said Lt. Kyle A. Raines, a Submarine Group Nine spokesman.

While Trident submarines based in Washington have done crew swaps at home, “the crews will be doing forward crew swaps,” Raines said.

The submarine will leave with its “Blue” crew, commanded by Capt. Christopher Ratliff, he said. Ohio’s “Gold” crew, commanded by Capt. Andrew Hale, will remain at the base and travel to a swap location in Hawaii, Guam or Diego Garcia at scheduled times, he added.

Ohio is one of Trident four ballistic missile submarines — SSBNs, aka “boomers” — the Navy is converting into guided missile submarines, or SSGNs. The others are Florida, Michigan and Georgia, the latter which is expected to be fully converted later this year and homeported in King’s Bay, Ga.

“She was the first one to convert, and she is the first one to be phased into an operational status,” Raines said.

The conversions are transforming the stealthy submarines to carry and launch up to 154 Tomahawk land attack missiles. Their internal space is being reconfigured to provide living, exercise and command-and-control space to Navy SEALs or other special operations forces, and it includes the capability to house and launch SEAL delivery vehicles and the advanced SEAL delivery system. The submarines also have improved connectivity and room to support a joint command aboard the submarine.