The US Navy's oldest cruise missile submarine has returned to service after more than two years of refitting.
USS Ohio has completed its maintenance availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, bringing to a close a 27-month major maintenance period that saw updates and upgrades to most major onboard systems. Major repairs included preservation and structural work on the submarine's sail, tanks, and superstructure.
Ohio's maintenance period began on April 25, 2017, when the ship arrived in dry dock for the start of its availability after having completed a 20-month deployment in the Pacific.
Originally commissioned as the lead boat of its class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) on November 11, 1981, Ohio was also the first submarine to be converted to a guided missile platform. The conversion ended when the ship returned to service as a nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine (SSGN) in 2006.
