General Dynamics Completes Conversion of USS Ohio

General Dynamics Electric Boat has completed its conversion of USS Ohio, the first of four Trident submarines to be reconfigured as multimission vessels optimized for covert tactical strike and special operations support. Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics. Ohio's conversion, undertaken in conjunction with the ship's midlife refueling, provides the Navy with its first truly transformational platform. Ohio will be joined by three additional Tridents undergoing conversion to SSGNs -- USS Michigan at the shipyard here, and USS Florida and USS Georgia at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Virginia. The conversions are being performed under a $1.4 billion contract awarded to Electric Boat in 2002; work is scheduled for completion in 2007. Each SSGN will carry up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles and support up to 66 Special Operations Forces for an extended time. General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems in Pittsfield, Mass., is the systems integrator for the missile-control system. SSGNs will also serve as platforms to develop and test new weapons systems, sensors and operational concepts that could further transform naval warfare. These payloads will include large unmanned undersea vehicles and off-board sensors. Casey noted that the conversion -- comprising design, manufacturing, installation and at-sea testing -- was completed only three years after the Navy decided to move forward with the program.