The Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) has returned to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia, after a record-breaking 727-day deployment.
The submarine, which operates under the command of Submarine Group Ten, covered extensive operations across the 5th, 6th, and 7th fleet areas, making it one of the longest deployments in recent history.
USS Florida departed from Kings Bay in August 2022 and conducted five crew swaps throughout its deployment before finally returning on 31 July 2024.
“We have demonstrated the versatility of the SSGN platform to operate anywhere at any time,” said Capt. Peter French, the blue crew commanding officer.
“We operated in several different oceans. It’s very uncommon for East Coast submarines to deploy to the West Coast, but we managed to do an exceptional job completing the mission.”
During the deployment, the submarine’s crew undertook crucial missions that enhanced national security and operational capabilities, reinforcing deterrence efforts, according to the U.S. Navy.
The deployment saw the submarine traverse over 60,000 nautical miles and make routine port calls in Greece, Guam, Diego Garcia, and the United Kingdom.
“Our Sailors are the true strength of our boat and the Navy,” remarked Master Chief Electronics Technician Submarine, Navigation Christopher L. Martell, the gold crew chief of the boat. “They consistently impress me with their unwavering dedication to the submarine force. We train and fight as a family, and I’m excited to get the crews back home to their actual families and enjoy some much-needed time off.”
USS Florida, which was converted from an SSBN to an SSGN at Norfolk Naval Shipyard between July 2003 and April 2006, is homeported at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia. This base is home to all East Coast Ohio-class submarines and serves as a pivotal point for sea-based strategic deterrence and submarine-based special operations capabilities.
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America has an SSBN at sea for two years and it’s hailed as a massive accomplishment. A British SSBN goes to sea for 6 months and it’s hailed as a failure in British defence policy.
The issue in the UK is not our people, capability or even government but the media and the negative spin they place on everything. A constant need to tell every in the UK how s**t we are and how we are no longer a global power blah blah blah.
You don’t see 40,000 people a year swimming the lakes to get to America from Canada but you do see them crossing from France into the UK despite the fact we are suppose to be shit at everything and a failed state.
It’s not an SSBN…
It isn’t an SSBN and it’s changed crews during port stopovers.
Each person has been on board for less time than we send our SSBNs out for.
Firstly it’s an SSGN not an SSBN which is quite funny as on a previous post you proposed we built a 5th SSBN and converted 2 as SSGN’s. Do you know the difference ?
Secondly it isn’t a Strategic Nuclear asset on a single CASD patrol for 6 months all done with 1 crew, under water and with no resupply or port visits. Ours was forced upon us by only having 4 SSBN’s when the optimum number for CASD is and always has been.
That is a failing in UK Defence Policy and Strategy and directly led to one very long patrol, but in no way reflects on the achievement of that boats crew. Which by the way is why we do actually need 5 SSBNs and not just 4.
Thirdly the SSGN is a Tactical conventional weapon and aren’t going to be around for very long now, so making the maximum use of them is sensible. And the USN has done a fine job scheduling all of the crew handovers and resupply stops. I’d suspect that this may well be the USN flexing its logistic muscles for when they (and we) start to operate SSNs out of Australian ports.
Jim, I completely agree with the broad point you are trying to make. There is so much negativity about the UK and our armed forces… and so much of it is misplaced. For all the issues we have to deal with (as other western countries do as well) we do so much that is very very good…
Why swim the Great Lakes to get into the US when the Biden/Harris administration will not only allow you to cross the southern border of the US but will help you to do it, house you, feed you, give you free health care and walking around money? 40,000? Small potatoes. Try 2,000,000 plus a year for three years.
Yeah, but Trump was going to build that beautiful wall and make Mexico pay for it. How did that work out for him. 🤔
Democrats successfully thwarted it. Does that make you proud?
Yes.
Imagine having a sub in a fit state just to deploy…
Just how the hell did they manage to store enough 30 oz Steaks for that trip ????
Sounds like they’ve had port visits etc. while being forwards based, rather than actually being underwater for two years.
Yes 5 crew swaps would be an interesting exercise if the boat remains submerged.
I await the classified report:
“A novel utility for the Swimmer Delivery Vehicle”
I do wonder if some people actually read the articles before commenting 😆
It is quite impressive that this SSGN operated for 2 years without any deep maintenence, managing with only what was done on board by the crews and during the small port visits.
I know, I read the article and then saw a few of the comments and thought I’d chuck in the Steak thing as Americans eat masses of them, it was a sort of humour thing implying that a heck of a lot of space would have been required to store two years worth of 30oz T-Bones ! 🍔
It’s actually a very impressive achievement, those 4 converted Ohios are a huge stick and they have maximised its deployment. I just hope the RN have been taking notes for when an Astute forward deploys to Australia,
Yankee ingenuity.