The Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine Alaska (SSBN-732) returns to its homeport at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga. (US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Ashley Berumen (Released)
WASHINGTON — The Navy is planning to move forward with extending the service life of up to five Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines, starting with the Alaska (SSBN-732), a senior officer overseeing submarine construction said today.
Rear Adm. Scott Pappano, the program executive officer for strategic submarines, told attendees here at the Naval Submarine League symposium the Navy has programmed in the service life extension for Alaska in fiscal year 2029 as a “hedge” against the building schedule of the newer Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines.
The maintenance period to extend the sub’s life by three years would take about 18 months and is called a pre-inactivation restricted availability. The Ohio class was originally designed in the 1970s and scheduled to be in service for 30 years, but incremental life extensions have continually elongated the boats’ time in service beyond four decades.
Speaking to reporters following his remarks, Pappano cautioned that although the service has opted to include the life extension, or PIRA, in its long-term planning documents, that decision can ultimately be reversed if deemed necessary.
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“We have the ability to come off at that decision at anytime, right,” he said. “I can decide not to do those up until the year of execution.”
Pappano declined to name other vessels being considered for the life extensions, but said there are certain “red lines” that would make extending a boat’s life cost prohibitive, such as needing to refuel the vessel or replace a reactor.
The Navy in recent years has floated the idea of extending the lives of certain Ohio-class submarines as a way to buy time in case the first Columbia-class boat does not begin patrols on time in the early 2030s. In parallel, the service has been extending the service lives of certain Los Angeles-class fast attack submarines, such as the Alexandria (SSN-757) and Scranton (SSN-756).
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“I don’t know if it’s going to be a fair fight,” said Stacie Pettyjohn, director of CNAS’s defense program and one of the authors of the report. “There are a lot of things that are stacked up against the United States when it’s playing an away game.”
