Super Sub Completes Trials

This is the Navy's new underwater battleship, the Ohio class cruise missile submarine. Ohio is an ex-Trident ballistic missile sub which, along with 3 sisters that are undergoing conversion for littoral warfare operations. From Navy newstand:

USS Ohio (SSGN 726), the Navy’s first modern guided-missile submarine, took a significant step towards rejoining the fleet Dec. 19, when it arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Wash., with a broom atop its sail to signify its clean sweep of the ship’s initial sea trials.

Ohio is the first of four fleet ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) to be converted into SSGNs. Prior to the conversion process, each boat unloaded its complement of Trident Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles. Twenty-two of the 24 missile tubes on each boat are being retrofitted to carry up to seven Tomahawk cruise missiles, for a maximum load out of 154 missiles per boat. The remaining two tubes are being converted into Lock-in/Lock-out chambers for use by Special Operations Forces (SOF).

This is the fleet's best bargain since the 4 Iowa class were converted to cruise missile battleships in the 1980's.