US nuclear sub sent to Middle East to deter surge in Israel-Hamas war
A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine, capable of launching precision missile strikes against targets hundreds of miles away, has joined 14 Navy ships in Middle Eastern waters to keep other nations out of the Israel-Hamas war.
In a rare public announcement, the U.S. Central Command said Nov. 5 that an Ohio-class submarine had arrived “in its area of responsibility.” CENTCOM, which directs U.S. military operations in the Middle East, made the brief statement on social media.
The submarine was later identified as the USS Florida, SSGN-728, an Ohio-class nuclear-powered vessel. It can carry up to 154 Tomahawks, long-range, subsonic cruise missiles. It does not carry nuclear missiles.
The USS Florida’s ability to launch Tomahawks while submerged and virtually undetectable gives the U.S. a substantial strategic advantage. “It gives us the option of precision strikes without risking pilots,” says Dr. Norman Friedman, a historian, author and defense analyst with the U.S. Naval Institute.
How powerful is a nuclear submarine?
In naval warfare, “nuclear submarines are particularly impressive,” says Norman Polmar, a defense analyst with the U.S. Naval Institute who’s written several books on naval warfare. The USS Florida is capable of:
◾ Firing high-tech Tomahawk cruise missiles at targets hundreds of miles away.
◾ Traveling anywhere underwater without being detected.
◾ Staying submerged for months at a time.
◾ Deploying special operations forces underwater – through its torpedo tubes.
Even without support, nuclear subs can stay submerged for months, Polmar says. For the 14 officers and 144 enlisted personnel aboard, “the limitation is food.”
Once underwater, “a submarine is hard to find,” Polmar says. “She might even leave to go somewhere else, 100 or 1,000 miles away, and you can say she’s still in the area.
“Your opponent, especially a Third World country, won’t be able to find her.”
Why is the USS Florida’s deployment significant?
The USS Florida is one of four Ohio-class SSGN subs outfitted with cruise missiles for special operations. Its presence in the region is noteworthy in four ways:
◾ It provides a submerged launch platform that’s virtually undetectable by those who could enter the war.
◾ It boosts the potential number of Tomahawk missiles among Navy ships in the region by as much as 25%, assuming all vessels are carrying their maximum Tomahawk load.
◾ It’s CENTCOM’s fourth deployment/repositioning of Navy vessels in response to the Israeli-Hamas war.
◾ Its presence was publicly announced by the Navy, which usually does not disclose submarine movements.
“The point of a submarine is invisibility,” Friedman says. “Anyone interested in attacking us would have no idea where it was. No one in that part of the world has particularly good anti-submarine warfare capability.”
The USS Florida has other advantages. “The submarine can move faster than the carrier battle group,” Polmar says.
Carrier groups use a lot of fuel for both their ships and aircraft and depend on tankers or ports to resupply. “A nuclear-powered submarine gives you a clandestine capability and more mobility,” Polmar says.
It’s not known how exactly many Tomahawks the Navy has available with its force in the Middle East. USA TODAY estimated a combined total of 758 Tomahawks, based on what each vessel can carry.
However, the actual number is probably lower, considering each ship may not be fully stocked and must also carry its own air-defense missiles in addition to the Tomahawks. “You want ships to have the ability to defend themselves,” Friedman says.
What other Navy ships are out there?
The U.S. Navy has two aircraft carrier strike groups in the Middle East, the USS Gerald R. Ford in the eastern Mediterranean and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea. It also has the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group in the area.
With the USS Florida, that’s a total of 15 vessels.
U.S. military forces are in the region to help shield Israel from attacks by Iran, Syria, or militant groups such as Hezbollah. While the two aircraft carrier strike groups have up to 90 attack and support aircraft each, Tomahawk missiles will be a key weapon in Israeli protection.
“Tomahawks can destroy defensive weapon systems,” Friedman says. “That allows airplanes to get in and do more.”
What are Tomahawk missiles?
Tomahawks are subsonic cruise missiles that can be fired by surface ships or submarines against other ships or land-based targets. They were designed to fly at low altitudes to evade radar detection and have been a staple of the U.S. military arsenal since their first use in Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
“The real threat to Iran or anyone else is a submarine or destroyer launching Tomahawk missiles,” Polmar says.
Tomahawks “have a large conventional warhead and are exceedingly accurate,” Polmar says. “There’s really no defense against them.”
The latest version of a Tomahawk missile can “loiter” or pause in midflight over a target area, Friedman says. The Block IV version has onboard cameras that allow commanders to assess combat situations and redirect the missile to an alternate target if necessary.
Think of them, “like one-way drones,” Friedman says.
The U.S. and U.K. forces use Tomahawks but other nations want them as well. The U.S. agreed to sell Australia 220 of the missiles in March, and Japan has committed to buy several hundred Tomahawks in 2025.
Resupplying ships with missiles isn’t easy
Navy warships can’t easily be resupplied with missiles at sea. Guided missile destroyers of aircraft strike groups can be restocked in sheltered waters of the Middle East, Friedman says.
“But with a submarine, you have to go back to a base,” he says. “So you get a limited number of shots.”
Does the USS Florida carry nuclear missiles? No.
There are 18 Ohio-class nuclear-powered submarines, but they’re not all the same. There are two types:
(1) SSBN: A nuclear-powered submarine that carries long-range ballistic missiles armed with multiple nuclear warheads.
There are 14 Ohio-class SSBNs and they are one leg of the U.S. nuclear triad. The other two are intercontinental ballistic missiles launched from land bases and long-range bombers carrying nuclear weapons.
(2) SSGN: A nuclear-powered submarine that carries cruise missiles. They are also used to deploy special forces personnel. They do not carry nuclear missiles.
The USS Florida is one of four SSGNs. The other three are the USS Ohio, SSGN-726; the USS Michigan, SSGN-727; and the USS Georgia, SSGN-729.
All 18 Ohio-class subs were originally designed to carry ballistic nuclear missiles. That changed with the 1994 Nuclear Posture Review, which found only 14 subs were needed as the sea-based leg of the U.S. defense triad. Four subs were converted into vessels for conventional land attack and special operations forces.
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SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; U.S. Naval Institute; Associated Press; U.S. Navy; General Dynamics; Raytheon