The USS Florida and three other nuclear subs faced decommissioning as a result of the START II arms reduction treaty and a subsequent Navy review, but about a year ago, the Defense Department decided to convert the vessels and use them in different ways.
The Florida will be converted to carry conventional weapons and used as a stealthy platform to deploy SEALs. The sub, its nuclear weapons already removed, arrived Thursday at its new homeport of Norfolk Naval Station from its former base in Bangor, Wash.
In January, two Tomahawk missiles — minus their warheads — will be fired from one of the Florida’s missile tubes in a test that will be the first launch of cruise missiles from an Ohio-class submarine. The date of the test off the coast of Florida was not released.
During the third week of January, the hulking, black 560-foot sub will go to the Bahamas and take part in a weeklong experiment called Giant Shadow. In the simulation, SEALs, unmanned air and underwater vehicles and various sensors will work together to try to confirm reports that terrorists are building a chemical weapons plant, the SEALS will look for the plant and the submarine will try to destroy it.
The intent is to learn what else the converted subs may be capable of doing to fill in gaps in joint warfighting, said Capt. William Toti, who will run Giant Shadow.
The sub will head to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard next August to begin 32 months of conversion and refueling. It is expected to be delivered to the Navy in 2007 after testing.
The conversion is part of a continuing effort to use technology to transform the Navy as its roles change, said Toti, assistant chief of staff for requirements for the commander of the Navy’s submarine forces.
“Transformation isn’t just about buying more stuff,” Toti told reporters aboard the docked submarine. “Transformation is about using the things we already have in ways nobody dreamed of.”
Conversion work began in November on the USS Ohio at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Wash. The USS Michigan and USS Georgia are slated to begin conversion in 2004.
The cost of converting and refueling all four subs is being reviewed but is roughly $3.8 billion, Toti said.
Critics argue that the money would be better spent developing new weapons and attack submarines. The subs, however, will have enough nuclear power to last at least 20 more years, and the Navy figured it would be cheaper to convert them than to create something new. Toti estimated it would cost about $12 billion to build four new subs.
By Sonja Barisic, AP
