Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:26:00-2:26:17

Guided-missile submarines as submerged arsenal ships

An SSGN already performs much of the arsenal-ship function and can serve alongside SSBNs in a mixed strategic-submarine force.

Ballistic Missile SubmarinesFleet DesignGuided Missile SubmarinesNuclear Submarines
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Question

Do guided-missile submarines already serve as a form of arsenal ship?

Short answer

Yes; SSGNs are submerged arsenal ships and can serve alongside SSBNs in a mixed strategic-submarine force.

Notes

Navies already possess slow, heavily armed arsenal ships in submarine form. The guided-missile submarine, or SSGN, is the submerged version of the concept. A mixed strategic-submarine force could combine SSGNs with ballistic-missile submarines rather than treating every large missile magazine as a surface-ship requirement. Concealment and force allocation offer alternatives to concentrating all strike weapons in a visible hull.