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| Science & Technology |
| US Converts Fourth Trident Submarine To Cruise Missiles |
| 2007-12-21 |
| The Navy this month completed its fourth conversion of a U.S. nuclear ballistic missile submarine into an extremely powerful, conventionally armed cruise missile launcher and covert transporter of U.S. special operations force. The last converted missile sub the USS Georgia is now being readied for deployment around the world at its home port of Kings Bay, Ga., said skipper, Cmdr. Rodney E. Hutton. The conversion of the nuclear missile submarines into Tomahawk-firing submarines is one element of a new Pentagon strategy of building up forces to be ready to counter any emerging threat from China. Cmdr. Hutton said the Georgia will operate in the Pacific, as well as other oceans and can swap out its entire crew at Guam, a major strategic U.S. military hub in the Pacific. In a telephone interview from the submarine, Cmdr. Hutton said the new Tomahawk submarines are "extraordinary force multipliers." Two of the submarines, each equipped with 154 long-range cruise missiles, can provide the same firepower as all the Tomahawk-firing ships in the 2003 Operation Enduring Freedom, as the Iraq invasion is called. "I see the SSGN becoming one of premier platforms for any conflict today or in the future," said Cmdr. Hutton, using the Navy's term for nuclear-powered guided-missile submarines. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #7 I am still hoping that we take one of the least in good condition Tridents and convert it to scientific research purposes. Either run by the US Navy, or the Office of Naval Research, which is much of a muchness, a "noisy boat" doing research could be worth billions or even trillions to the US. The geological mapping alone would be worth a fortune. It could also map toxic and nuclear waste dump sites, or squirt enormous quantities of undersea concrete on them to entomb them. The pure research would be great, too. Estimated operating cost would probably be $20-40M/ year, which is peanuts compared to what we could learn that nobody else could. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2007-12-21 19:29 |
| #6 Ummm, "Air Torpedos" (Sounds good to me)Hope they can be launched submerged. So much for the vaunted Russian "Supersonic Underwater Torpedo." |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2007-12-21 19:20 |
| #5 "In the town where I was born, Came a man who made the laws. And he told us of his life, In the legislative halls. "So he sailed to Washington, And he found a sea of green. And he funneled some back here, As the Trident Submarine. "We all live off The Trident Submarine, Trident Submarine, Trident Submarine...." |
| Posted by: Eric Jablow 2007-12-21 19:18 |
| #4 beating swords into |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-12-21 18:29 |
| #3 Sweet. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2007-12-21 16:33 |
| #2 Now that's a conversion I like! |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2007-12-21 16:25 |
| #1 Nice. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2007-12-21 16:11 |