U.S. Navy Restores USS Florida SSGN Submarine With 154 Tomahawk Missile Capacity After Two-Year Overhaul.

The U.S. Navy has completed a two-year Major Maintenance Period on the Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728), restoring and modernizing critical systems before the submarine returns to sea. The work moves one of the Navy’s highest-capacity conventional strike submarines toward operational service, with USS Florida able to carry up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and support special operations forces.

Commander, Submarine Group Ten disclosed the maintenance milestone on October 2, 2026, during a Blue Crew change-of-command ceremony at U.S. Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia. Incoming commander Capt. Stephen M. Col said the submarine was fully restored and ready to return to sea, marking an important readiness step for a major U.S. undersea strike asset.

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U.S. Navy USS Florida (SSGN 728) guided-missile submarine has completed a two-year maintenance and modernization period at Kings Bay, restoring critical systems ahead of its return to sea while preserving the ability to carry up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles and support special operations forces. (Picture source: U.S. Department of War/Defense)

The maintenance period matters because the U.S. Navy USS Florida, an Ohio-class guided-missile submarine, combines nuclear-powered endurance, submarine stealth, and a missile load far larger than a standard U.S. attack submarine. Twenty-two of the converted Ohio-class submarine’s large-diameter missile tubes can accommodate seven Tomahawks each, producing a maximum load of 154 cruise missiles, while the two forward tubes were converted for special operations use.

That capacity allows a single SSGN to position a large volume of precision-guided conventional firepower close to a contested theater without relying on surface launchers or visible air deployments. The submarine can also embark up to 66 special operations personnel, with lock-out chambers and support for Dry Deck Shelters enabling clandestine insertion and recovery missions.

USS Florida demonstrated the operational relevance of that combination during its previous 727-day deployment, which ended at Kings Bay on July 31, 2024, after operations across the U.S. 5th, 6th, and 7th Fleet areas. During that deployment, the submarine operated in the U.S. Central Command area during the Red Sea crisis with more than 100 Tomahawk missiles available for potential strike missions.

The submarine’s return to sea will therefore restore more than an individual hull to U.S. Navy availability. It will preserve a concentrated undersea strike capability as the service begins transitioning away from the four converted Ohio-class SSGNs, whose combined maximum load amounts to 616 vertically launched Tomahawk missiles.

Originally commissioned as the ballistic-missile submarine USS Florida (SSBN 728) in June 1983, the submarine completed 61 strategic deterrent patrols before being selected for conversion to the conventional guided-missile role. Its conversion was completed in 2006, replacing most of its former ballistic-missile capacity with conventional strike and special-operations capabilities.

The modernization milestone also comes as the U.S. Navy reshapes its undersea strike force. In August 2026, the service announced that 19 planned Virginia-class submarines equipped with the Virginia Payload Module would be redesignated as SSGNs, with the first VPM-equipped guided-missile submarine currently estimated for delivery in fiscal year 2029.

The Virginia Payload Module adds four large-diameter payload tubes and significantly expands the number and variety of weapons a Virginia-class submarine can carry. Even so, a VPM-equipped Virginia-class submarine carries substantially fewer missiles than an Ohio-class SSGN, so future undersea strike capacity will be distributed across more submarines.

For that reason, restoring USS Florida provides a near-term readiness benefit during a sensitive force-structure transition. Keeping the submarine available preserves a large, survivable Tomahawk magazine and special-operations capability while the Navy introduces its next generation of VPM-equipped submarines.

The two-year maintenance effort also extends the operational usefulness of a submarine whose value rests less on its age than on the volume of combat power it can covertly place within missile range of a theater. As the U.S. Navy moves from four exceptionally large Ohio-class guided-missile submarines toward a more distributed Virginia-class force, USS Florida can continue filling a difficult-to-replace role in high-volume precision strike, special-operations support, and persistent undersea presence.

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Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.