USS Michigan (SSGN-727)

USS Michigan (SSBN-727/SSGN-727) is an Ohio-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine that has been converted into a guided missile submarine and is part of the United States Navy. She is the third ship to bear the name of the state of Michigan.

For other ships with the same name, see USS Michigan.

USS Michigan (SSBN-727)
History
United States
Name: USS Michigan (SSBN-727)
Namesake: US state of Michigan
Ordered: 28 February 1975
Builder: General Dynamics Electric Boat
Laid down: 4 April 1977
Launched: 26 April 1980
Commissioned: 11 September 1982
Homeport: Naval Base Kitsap, Bangor, Washington
Motto: Tuebor ("I will defend")
Status: in active service
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type: Ohio-class
Displacement:
  • 16,764 long tons (17,033 t) surfaced[1][2]
  • 18,750 long tons (19,050 t) submerged[1]
Length: 560 ft (170 m)
Beam: 42 ft (13 m)[1]
Draft: 38 ft (12 m)
Propulsion:
  • 1 × S8G PWR nuclear reactor[1]
  • 2 × geared turbines[1]
  • 1 × 325 hp (242 kW) auxiliary motor
  • 1 × shaft @ 60,000 shp (45,000 kW)[1]
Speed: Greater than 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)[3]
Test depth: Greater than 800 feet (240 m)[3]
Complement:
Armament:
  • 4 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
  • 154 × BGM-109 Tomahawks in 22 groups of seven

Construction and commissioning

Michigan was constructed at the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut, and was commissioned on 11 September 1982. Michigan arrived in Bangor, Washington, on 16 March 1983 and completed sixty-six Strategic Deterrent Patrols. She was originally designed and commissioned as a ballistic missile submarine capable of deploying 24 Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) with nuclear warheads.

Conversion to SSGN

As of June 2007, Michigan has been converted to an SSGN at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.[4] Her hull classification symbol then changed from SSBN-727 to SSGN-727.

Post-conversion

On 12 December 2009, Michigan returned to Naval Base Kitsap, her home base, completing her first deployment after the SSGN conversion. The deployment began 10 November 2008, and included numerous missions. The ship also completed several theater security cooperation engagements with Pacific Rim nations.[5]

On 28 June 2010, Michigan was one of three Ohio-class submarines involved in a US response to Chinese missile testing in the contested East China Sea. Michigan, Ohio, and Florida all surfaced simultaneously in the waters of South Korea, the Philippines, and the British Indian Ocean Territory respectively.[6][7]

In August 2016, Chief Petty Officer Dominique Saavedra became the first enlisted female sailor to earn her submarine qualification, and was assigned to Michigan. [8] (The first female, both officer and overall was in 2011.[9])

On 25 April 2017, Michigan docked at Busan Naval Base, South Korea, during a time of heightened tensions with North Korea. She later joined the USS Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group in the Sea of Japan for exercises.[10] Photographs show a dry deck shelter mounted on Michigan.

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References
  1. "Ohio-class SSGN-726". Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  2. Frost, Peter. "Newport News contract awarded". Daily Press. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  3. "Submarine Frequently Asked Questions". Chief of Naval Operations Submarine Warfare Division. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  4. "Ceremony Celebrates USS Michigan Conversion". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  5. "Michigan completes first SSGN deployment". Military Times. 16 December 2009. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  6. "In 2010, the U.S. Navy Surfaced Three Missiles Subs as a Warning to China". War is Boring. Medium. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  7. Torode, Greg. "US submarines emerge in show of military might". Viet-Studies. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  8. "1st enlisted female sailor gets submarine qualification". Chicago Tribune. 13 July 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  9. "USS Ohio Gold Crew Member Becomes First Female Supply Officer to Qualify in Submarines". Navy Currents. Sea Technology. August 2012. Archived from the original on 23 September 2013.
  10. "North Korea tensions: USS Michigan submarine to enter South Korean port". Fox News. 24 April 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register and various news articles.
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