Observing the Photo of the Week

Last Thursday this picture was taken of the USS Ohio (SSGN 726) arriving in Yokosuka for a port of call. This is the third really good photo of the USS Ohio (SSGN 726) on its current deployment.

The first good look we got of the Ohio was over a year ago, on October 22, 2024 when the submarine pulled into Pearl Harbor in the beginning of her maiden deployment. At that time, she was observed carrying one Dry Dock Shelter (DDS).

The second really good look we got was on Feb. 28, 2008 when the USS Ohio (SSGN 726) pulled in Chinhae Naval Base, South Korea. At that time, the submarine was also noted to be carrying only one Dry Dock Shelter.

As you can see, during the Yokosuka visit, the Ohio was carrying two Dry Dock Shelters. While we could sit and speculate forever all the reasons and activities going on with the SSGNs, the reason this is noteworthy is because as the deployment of the USS Ohio approached, several officers involved in the SSGN program emphasized that the payload possibilities for the submarines would be tested, and the Navy intends to test as many payloads as possible. The implication at the time was these platforms, at least early on, would not be underwater arsenal ships, but would be utilized as underwater sea basing platforms to test, deploy, and recover as many technologies in the modified bays as could be fit.

That we are seeing different configurations when we do get a good look at the USS Ohio (SSGN 726) during this deployment is very encouraging, because the implication is the Navy is indeed testing the various payloads and technologies under development. What those technologies and payloads might be can be speculated elsewhere, we are just pleased to see the Navy isn't settling with these platforms as underwater battleships for land attack, because the potential for other capabilities is far greater.