USS Ohio (SSGN 726) completed a three-year Major Maintenance Period availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility Feb. 24, 2025, culminating with Naval Sea Systems Command (SEA 07) certification for Unrestricted Operations, and helping return the nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine back to the Indo-Pacific theater of operations.
According to Josh Fleming, project superintendent, Code 326, USS Ohio Project Team, the Ohio project included more than 512,000 resource days of work, with contributions from PSNS & IMF, ship’s force (USS Ohio Gold and USS Ohio Blue), International Marine and Industrial Applicators; Alteration Installation Teams; Naval Information Warfare Center, Pacific; Naval Information Warfare Center, Atlantic; Commander, Submarine Force; U.S. Pacific Fleet and Squadron 19.
“These organizations worked well [together] to accomplish the required work. Each had to adapt to the changing conditions and be flexible to surge support when it was their turn,” Fleming said. “Specifically, the two crews were able to maintain a level of engagement for all of the docking period so that, when swapping crews every six months, there was little to no impact to ongoing work and testing. This allowed the project team to maintain a more consistent schedule and keep the churn at the deckplate minimized.”
Submarines like USS Ohio provide the U.S. Navy with unprecedented strike and special operation mission capabilities from a stealth, clandestine platform, said Rear Adm. Thomas Wall, commander, Submarine Group Nine. More than half of the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Force is based in the Indo-Pacific region due to the area’s strategic importance, and SSGNs work as part of joint and combined operations to maintain the international rules-based order, ensuring the region remains open and free.
“Restoring Ohio’s operational readiness plays a direct role in our undersea warfighter’s continued ability to achieve peace through strength,” Wall said.
During the MMP, the project team completed both interior mechanical repairs and shaft replacement, Fleming said. The work also included the repair and preservation of the main ballast tanks and superstructure, torpedo tube upgrades and several major modernization alterations.
“Ohio is the oldest boat in the fleet, which makes it unique in itself. Many barriers had to be removed due to material obsolescence and availability. This included working across NAVSEA programs to accomplish many emergent work items,” Fleming said. “[For example], at one point in the availability, a hard-to-reach trim and drain piping [had] to be replaced due to minimal wall thickness. [Team members from] Shops 26 and 56 and Codes 260, 327 and 135 built a mock-up and developed a way to reinforce the piping wall. [That collaboration] saved the project extensive interference removal time.”
MMP availabilities are always significant undertakings, Fleming said. But, at every step along the way, this project team delivered.
“I want to recognize an incredible project team — one that has not only delivered outstanding results but has done so with a level of adaptability, collaboration and commitment,” Fleming said. “This project has been a journey and, like any great journey, it has been shaped by many hands. Some team members were here from the start, guiding us through planning and a successful system takedown. Others stepped in along the way, bringing fresh perspectives and much-needed expertise as we undocked the boat. Every single member has played a crucial role in getting USS Ohio back to the fleet. The team delivered through tight deadlines, shifting priorities, and our fair share of ‘Murphy moments.'”