A nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SNLE), also known as SSBN (Sub-Surface Ballistic Nuclear) according to the NATO code, is a very large naval nuclear-powered submarine, equipped with nuclear-charged strategic ballistic missiles in vertical silos and launched from a dive. It is also equipped with torpedoes and aerodynamic medium-change missiles, anti-ship weapons for its self-defense. Its mission is nuclear deterrence; as such, it ensures the guarantee of a retaliatory nuclear strike, due to the difficulty of locating it during its diving patrols, thanks in particular to its qualities of acoustic discretion.
The countries that have this type of submarine at the start of the 21st century are the United States, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, China and India. The United States and Russia alone possess more than 4/5ths of the world's SSBN fleet.
History
Projects for submarines capable of firing missiles against land targets were imagined by the German military-industrial complex during the Second World War but were never realized. The former Allies each made their own projects in this area.
After studying the German missiles, variants of the V-1 were fired from the sea by the USS Carbonero (SS-337) and USS Cusk (SS-348) in February 1947, the range of these craft was 135 nautical miles and their probable circular error nearly 6 km.
The United States launched various programs to have more efficient weapon systems and deployed the subsonic SSM-N-8 Regulus cruise missile with a range of 900 km, the first firing of which took place in July 1953 from the deck of the USS Tunny (SSG-282). The USS Halibut (SSGN-587), having a Regulus missile launcher and capable of carrying five of them, was launched in January 1959; it was the first nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine.
The first ballistic missile-carrying submarines were, from 1955, six modified ships of the AV611 project type or Zulu-V class according to the NATO code of the Soviet Navy. These conventionally powered submarines carried two Scud-derived R-11FM missiles that were to be fired from the surface.
But the first real SSBN was the USS George Washington (SSBN-598) of the United States Navy operational from 1960 with its UGM-27A Polaris with a range of 2,200 km.
From the 1960s, these virtually undetectable vectors were a mainstay of mutually assured destruction thanks to their second-strike capability in the event of a nuclear attack from the other side.
The in service of conventionally powered missile submarines means that in the list of US Navy ship registration codes, the acronym SSB for Ballistic Missile Submarine is used for diesel-powered submarines (only one of this category, under the Chinese flag, in the 2000s) and SSBN (N in parentheses until the 1970s) for those with naval nuclear propulsion.
List of SNLE users
United States
In 2013, the United States Navy had 14 submarines of this type. The Polaris project, which created the first series of SSBNs in service, followed the abandonment of the US Navy's Jupiter project in November 1956. This project involved the construction of submarines carrying up to four Jupiter missiles. The project is canceled because the submarines had to surface to launch their missiles; the liquid-fueled Jupiter missiles had to be refueled before each launch, a dangerous operation aboard a submarine.
The very first SSBN was USS George Washington (SSBN-598) which was laid down in January 1957 originally as Skipjack-class SNA named USS Scorpion. In 1958, American engineers added a 40-meter-long missile compartment to it with 16 launch shafts, which housed the first UGM-27 Polaris A-1 solid-fuel missiles with a range of 1,800 km, and renamed it . It was launched on June 9, 1959 and entered service in December 1959.
This submarine fired its first missiles on July 20, 1960 during Eisenhower's presidency. But if during the Cuban crisis of October 1962, 6 SSBNs were already armed with 16 Polaris A1, the overall reliability of this missile was only estimated at 25%, indeed the launcher itself had a reliability rate 50% or less, and the 600 kiloton W47Y1 warhead arming it was estimated to have a one in two chance of initiating a nuclear explosion if needed; but during tests in 1966, there were three out of four failures, which brings down the real reliability rate to 12.5%. They are replaced or converted by the A2 and A3 versions in the years that follow.
The American Admiralty then wanted to have no less than 45 SSBNs in 1965, divided into five fleets of 9 submarines (3 in the Atlantic, 2 in the Pacific Ocean).
The The following were built at a high rate in four shipyards, but not as many or as quickly as hoped, and in 1967, forty-one nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines of the George Washington class (1959–1985), Ethan class Allen (1961–1992), Lafayette class (1963–1994), James Madison class (1964–1995), and Benjamin Franklin class (1965–2002) are in service, each equipped with sixteen missiles; this number began to drop from 1979.
They quickly replaced the four conventional submarines and the SSGN carrying the SSM-N-8 Regulus cruise missile which carried out 41 deterrence patrols between September 1959 and July 1964.
Their ballistic missiles were shaped like a keel and launched while diving at low speed — less than 3 knots (6 km/h) — using a steam device. The firing is armed automatically after emergence, approximately 30 meters above the surface.
In the early 1970s, of the forty-one buildings were in service, about fifteen are operational and ready to fire at all times, twelve undergoing routine maintenance and seven in full fairing.
They are equipped with an inertial unit for inertial navigation and, from the late 1960s, of the Transit satellite navigation system.
They are grouped into five flotillas in the Atlantic Ocean at the bases of Holy Loch in Scotland and Rota in Spain and in the Pacific Ocean at the bases of Apra in Guam and Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. They then rely on four submarine supply ships and on specialized floating docks; in the contiguous United States, the SSBNs then relied on the Charleston base in South Carolina and, incidentally, on New London in Connecticut.
In 1985, during the last phase of the War cold, thirty-seven submarines capable of carrying a total of six hundred and forty ballistic missiles were in service (six Ohio class, nineteen Lafayette class and twelve Benjamin Franklin class).
The Ohio-class submarines, the first of which became operational in 1981, are currently the only such submarines in service in the United States since the retirement of the last of the first SSBN designs on April 12, 1993.
Since the strategic arms reduction treaties, half of the submarines at sea are in a state of semi-alert, it takes about 18 hours for the crew to carry out the procedures necessary to put them on maximum alert , like, removing the dip plates from the launch tubes.
In 2012, the bulk of the American deterrent force continues to rely on the oceanic component of the Ohio-class flotilla, which has fourteen submarines in their original function armed with 24 Trident II (D5) with a range of more than 8,000 km equipped with four to six warheads out of the eighteen built. In 2009, the number of operational W76 and W88 warheads intended for the 288 Trident II D5 missiles in service was estimated at 1,1529. By the end of the 2010s, their number is expected to be reduced to 12.
These are the second largest submarines in the world after the Russian Typhoon-class submarines . They are all based in the two naval bases of Kings Bay, Georgia on the Atlantic coast under the command of Submarine Group 10 created on January 1, 1989, and Kitsap on the Kitsap Peninsula near Bangor in the State of Washington on the Pacific coast under the command of Submarine Group 9 created on July 1, 1981. 60% of the American submarine nuclear capacity is on this date deployed in the Pacific Ocean against 15% during the 1980s with six SSBNs stationed at Kings'Bay and eight in Bangor.
Between November 15, 1960 and November 2004, there were a total of 3,632 strategic deterrence patrols carried out by US SSBNs:
1,245 with Polaris missiles (Polaris A-1 from 15 November 1960 to October 14, 1965, Polaris A-2 from June 26, 1962 to June 9, 1974, Polaris A-3 from September 28, 1964 to October 1, 1981); 1,182 with Poseidon missiles from March 31, 1971 to October 1, 1991; 397 with Trident C-4 missiles on board old classes of submarines, this type of machine will be in service from October 20, 1979 to December 15, 2003; 481 with onboard Ohio-class Trident C-4 missiles; 327 with onboard Ohio-class Trident D-5 missiles since March 29, 1990.
Since the end of the Cold War, the number of strategic deterrence patrols carried out by American SSBNs has decreased. It was still 64 in 1999, 31 patrols per year in 2008 and 2009 and it was only 28 in 2011. More than two thirds now take place in the Pacific facing China, compared to only 1/7th during the Cold War, while 4 Trident II missiles were fired during exercises in 2009. With the fall of the Eastern Bloc and the ensuing relaxation in terms of strategic nuclear armaments, four class Ohio have been converted into cruise missile launcher submarines (SSGN according to
NATO terminology) three of which belong to Submarine Squadron 16 and one to Submarine Squadron 20. The launch tubes can carry a total of 154 Tomahawks, giving each of these submarines considerable firepower against land targets.
In 2012, the oldest Ohio-class vessel, the USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN 730) will be decommissioned in 2027 after 42 years of service e. The Navy will then retire the remaining 13 Ohio-class SSBNs at a rate of one per year.
Characteristics of SSBN(X) defined in 2012 .
On August 31, 2012, a memorandum of understanding was signed at the Washington Navy Yard outlining the guidelines for the replacement program for the Ohio class, the SSBN(X), as well as the replacement program for the British Vanguard class SSBNs. . The target for the United States would be to replace the 14 Ohio SSBNs with 12 SSBNs of the next generation, without losing their deterrent capability. The first unit, head of class, will be put on hold in 2021 for delivery to the United States Navy in 2027. The first patrol should be able to be conducted in 2031. The program should be operational until the 2080s. In 2012 , it is declared that this SSBN-X will be derived from the design of the
Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines and will incorporate many components, for a unit cost of boats 2 to 12 of 4.9 billion US dollars.
China
The People's Liberation Army Navy launched its first SSBN of the type 092, the 406 Changzheng on March 30, 1981, it entered service in 1987. A second example with the same hull number launched in 1982 would have been lost at sea in 1985.
It is actually a modified Soviet Delta-III class that carries 12 Chinese Ju Lang-1 nuclear missiles (NATO code CSS-N-3) with a range of 2,150 km and also possessing 6 torpedo tubes of 533 mm. Its home port is Jianggezhuang Naval Base, 25 km from Qingdao.
The Chinese are developing another all-Chinese-designed SSBN, the Type 094 (called Jin class by Western forces) armed with 12 Ju Lang-2s with an estimated range of 8,000 km, the first of which was launched in July 2004. But some experts claim that, for the moment, it is too noisy.
In May 2008, two 094s were launched and the American Intelligence Community estimates that five could be built by 2015.
The SSB Golf type 31 (registered 200) is a test building used for SLBM experiments launched in 1966 which would have been refurbished in 2009.
It seems that these submarines do not carry nuclear weapons except in times of crisis.
Beijing built a secret naval base in Sanya (also known as Yulin) in the 2000s. on the island of Hainan equipped with the necessary infrastructure to hide an entire fleet of nuclear submarines from the prying eyes of opposing spy satellites.
France
The Redoutable, the first of the French SNLEs, entered service on December 1, 1971.
The SNLEs of the strategic oceanic force form one of the two current components of the French nuclear deterrence strategy, with the means airborne strategic air force and naval aviation. The main advantage of the SNLE lies in its acoustic discretion.
Since the launch of this program in the 1960s, the operational base of the French SSBNs has been Île Longue in the harbor of Brest.
The decision to build a diesel submarine intended for testing the future French strategic ballistic sea-to-surface missiles is taken on December 6, 1960. The 3,000-ton Gymnote (S655) which will serve as a test bed for this weapon system will be built with the front and rear sections of the abandoned SNA project Q 244 and fitted with four vertical missile launcher tubes. She entered service on October 17, 1966 and was decommissioned on October 1, 1986.
The first class of French SSBNs was the 7,500 t Le Redoutable class, the laying of the top of the series of which was authorized in March 1963; construction began in 1964 at the Cherbourg arsenal and was launched on March 29, 1967 in the presence of President Charles de Gaulle. Its trials began in 1969 and it finally entered
service on December 1, 1971.
Six submarines of this class capable of carrying sixteen ballistic missiles were built:
S611 Le Redoutable (entered service in 1971, withdrawn from service in 1991)
S612 Le Terrible (1973-1996)
S610 Le Foudroyant (1974-1998)
S613 L'Indomptable (1976-2003)
S614 Le Tonnant (1980-1999, first submarine equipped with M2 )
S615 L'Inflexible (1985-2008, first submarine equipped with M4)
In November 1987, these SSBNs represent a destructive power of 44 megatons.
Four new-generation SSBNs (SNLE/NG) of the 12,600 t Le Triomphant class were in service in 2010 in the strategic oceanic force of the French Navy:
S616 - Le Triomphant (in service since 1997)
S617 - Le Téméraire (in service since 1999)
S618 - Le Vigilant (in service since 2004)
S619 - Le Terrible (S619) presented March 21, 2008, entered into
commissioned at the end of September 2010 to replace L'Inflexible, the last SSBN of the Le Redoutable class, decommissioned in January 2008.
The SSBN-NG weapon system consists of:
16 M-45 missiles with TN75 warheads (nuclear deterrent). The M-51 missile, with an increased range, succeeded the M-45 missile in 2010;
4 tubes of 533 mm for F17mod2 torpedoes and Exocet SM39 missiles (anti-ship missile).
The vectors are, in the 2000s, 64 M45 strategic sea-to-ground ballistic missiles which were replaced in the 2010s by 60 M51s, ie 3 batches of missiles for 4 submarines. The mission of a French SSBN is simple:leave its home port, in the most discreet way possible, then remain undetectable throughout its mission in order to be able to trigger nuclear fire at any time, on the orders of the President of the French Republic.
The procedure for firing nuclear missiles is as follows:upon receipt of the presidential order and the firing codes, the SSBN commander and his deputy introduce the firing "keys" then launch the missiles which then go on their targets (nobody on board the submarine knows the destination of the missiles, not even the commander). There are two shooting "keys" in order to limit the human risk (depression, suicidal tendency, temporary madness, etc.).
From 1972 to April 2014, 471 French SSBN patrols were carried out and 15 were interrupted, an hour or two, to carry out medical evacuations. A patrol mission lasts about 10 weeks, during which the SSBN must remain undetectable. The 100 to 130 crew members therefore live confined in the submarine, without being able to give news of them to their relatives. For reasons of acoustic discretion, telemedicine is prohibited:in the event of a health problem, a doctor-surgeon, assisted by two nurses including an anesthetist, can operate on them on board the SSBN.
India
The Indian Navy laid down its first Arihant-class SSBN in 1998. This project was called Advanced Technology Vessel before receiving the name Arihant. It was launched on July 26, 2009.
The commissioning of the Arihant with twelve K-15 Sagarika missiles with a range of over 700 km is planned for 2015. In July 2013, the divergence of the Arihant's nuclear reactor takes place, and after a series of tests at the Vishakhapatnam naval base in the Bay of Bengal, it goes to sea for the first time.
The second submarine of this class was laid down in May 2011 for an entry into active service announced for 2015, it should be, like the next three, armed directly with four K-4s.
Russia
As of July 2010, the Russian Navy has 12 SSBNs, 4 of which are under construction or being tested carrying, according to estimates, a total of 160 strategic missiles and 576 operational warheads, compared to 15 SSBNs in 2006 – 12 operational – and 67 in 1984 at soviet navy time.
The first submarines equipped with ballistic missiles were units of the Whiskey class (Project 613, 644 and 665)
The K-19 of the Hotel class (Project 658) is the first submarine Soviet Union nuclear-powered sailor to be equipped with ballistic missiles; it entered service on April 30, 1961. Its armament consisted of three R-13 (en) (NATO code:SS-N-4 Sark) with a range of about 600 km.
The first SSBN equivalent to American submarines was the K-137 of project 667A, known by the NATO code Yankee class, commissioned on November 6, 1967 and carrying 16 strategic missiles.
In 1971, the USSR had 22 nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines and another 20 diesel submarines carrying 2-3 R-13 missiles.
On August 6, 1991, during Operation Behemoth-2, the Delta-IV K-407 Novomoskovsk class submarine fired a salvo of 16 R-29RM missiles while diving, becoming the only ship, in 2014, to have launched the of its missile endowment.
It has, at the end of 2010, four different types of SSBNs, including the largest submarines in the world, those of the Typhoon class based in two submarine bases, the naval base of Gadjievo belonging to the Northern Fleet on the Kola peninsula grouping together the majority of SSBNs and the Vilyuchinsk naval base on the Kamchatka peninsula where the Delta-III31 class submarines are based; in 2008, each of the 10 operational SSBNs would each have accomplished a deterrence mission and in 2009 seven strategic missile test firings were noted.
Project 941 Akula Typhoon class:it can carry 20 SS missiles -N-20. When commissioned, it was the quietest of the Soviet submarines. Of a total of six built, only one is still in service and serves as a test bed for a new generation of ballistic missiles, the 3M14 SS-N-30 (3M14 Boulava) and two are in reserve, and may be dismantled like the three already withdrawn from service.
Project 667BDR Kalmar class Delta-III:built in 14 units from 1976, 4 are in service and should be retired within a few years. It can carry 16 SS-N-18 missiles. 3 batches of these missiles carrying 3 warheads would be available carrying a total of 196 warheads.
Project 667BDRM Del'fin Delta-IV class:improved version of Project 667BDR. The USSR built 7 of them, 6 of which are in service. Since 1999, they have been in the process of being upgraded. Two are under construction in 2010 so 4 are operational. They can carry 16 SS-N-23 missiles carrying 4 warheads for a total of 384 warheads carried for the 4 submarines.
Project 955 Boreï class:at the end of 2014, three submarines are in service while the Russian Navy plans to start construction on two additional buildings. This class should include a total of 8 ships by 2020 and will replace the elements of previous generations which will be retired in 2018. They must carry 16 R-30 Boulava.
United Kingdom
In 2012, the Royal Navy has four SSBNs of the Vanguard class, carrying a total of around 160 warheads, having succeeded the four Resolution class boats launched between 1966 and 1968, the first of which entered service in October 1967; they are:
HMS Vanguard
HMS Victorious
HMS Vigilant
HMS Vengeance
Their home port is Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde in the Argyll and Bute region of western Scotland.
By 2015, the Royal Navy plans to maintain at four his SSBN number. In 2007, the United Kingdom Parliament decided to launch a fleet renewal program with the commissioning of three new submarines to replace the Vanguards from 2022. In 2012, a decision is now envisaged at least in 2016 for a commissioning of 3 or 4 SSBNs from 2028, these ships to remain in service until the 2060s.
In June 2011, the number of nuclear warheads carried on each British nuclear ballistic missile submarine was reduced from 48 to 40; the number of operational Trident D5 missiles carried on each submarine will be reduced to 8 and the total number of operational nuclear warheads will increase from 160 to 120 by 2015.
Great Britain assigns to its SSBN patrols a substrategic mission to complete its strategic role. Operationally, this probably means that some of the missiles have a single warhead. These warheads could be used to attack regional adversaries (so-called “rogue states”) that possess weapons of mass destruction, a mission that would not require a major attack. Substrategic mission may also require small warhead yield options. This can be achieved by choosing to detonate the primary part of a warhead, which would produce an explosion of a kiloton or less, or by choosing to detonate the boosted primary, which would produce a yield on the order of a few kilotons.