The U.S. Navy's four Ohio Class SSGNs may soon receive new hypersonic missiles which could transform their capabilities. H I Sutton explains why.

The U.S. Navy conducted a scheduled one-missile test flight of an unarmed life-extended Trident II (D5LE) missile from USS Maine (SSBN-741), an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, on the Western Test Range off the coast of San Diego, California, on February 16, 2020.

The U.S. Navy conducted a scheduled, one-missile test flight of an unarmed life-extended Trident II (D5LE) missile from USS Maine (SSBN 741), an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, on the Western Test Range off the coast of San Diego, California, Feb. 12.

The U.S. Department of Defense on Feb. 4 confirmed in a statement that U.S. Navy had fielded W76-2 low-yield submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) warhead, adding that this capability would strengthen deterrence and support U.S. commitment to extended deterrence.

The US Navy announced on March 6 the establishment of Program Executive Office Columbia (PEO CLB) to focus entirely on the Navy’s number one acquisition priority.