Could more Ohio-class hulls have prevented the SSGN gap?

How much of the Ohio-class SSGN retirement gap could have been avoided if boats 19 through 24 of the originally envisaged class had been built?

Additional Ohios could have provided more conversion options and resilience, but submarine hull life varies with diving depth and operational use, so extra boats would not guarantee equal service lives.

Completing an Ohio class of twenty-four boats could have left more hulls available for guided-missile conversion. Submarines do not age uniformly because dive cycles, operating depths, and demanding missions place different stresses on each pressure hull. An unnamed Los Angeles-class boat provides a qualified example: reports of intensive covert operations suggest that its early retirement reflected heavy use, although the explanation is expressly uncertain. Surface ships also experience uneven wear, but their working conditions and opportunities for repair make comparable service lives easier to maintain. More original Ohio hulls would therefore improve the pool of conversion options without guaranteeing equal remaining lives.