Article Summary and Key Points: The U.S. Navy faces a critical shortage of Tomahawk missile platforms as it retires four Ohio-class SSGNs and multiple Ticonderoga-class cruisers by 2027. These retirements will remove over 2,000 Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells, significantly reducing America’s long-range strike capabilities.
Key Point #1 – While Block V Virginia-class submarines will add Tomahawk launch capacity, their smaller payloads won’t compensate for the losses. Compounding the problem, delays in the Columbia-class submarine program and shipyard workforce shortages hinder naval expansion.
Key Point #2 – With China preparing for potential conflict by 2027, the U.S. risks being unprepared for a major maritime war unless urgent action is taken.
U.S. Navy Faces Critical Tomahawk Missile Shortage—Here’s Why
The United States Navy plans to retire all four Ohio-class SSGNs by 2027, a decision that will create a crisis due to a VLS (Vertical Launch System) shortage. The Navy also planned to retire the Ticonderoga-class cruisers by 2027, but they were granted a temporary reprieve.
The Ticonderoga class will still retire, but not until 2030. This reprieve is only for three cruisers, leaving the Navy well short of its missile-launching capabilities. The announcement came five days after the Navy extended the service life of 12 Arleigh Burke class of aging destroyers that would have begun to retire in 2028.
Tomahawk Crisis: New Ships Can’t Replace Retiring Ones
The Navy has to balance the need to keep ships at sea with the time it takes for new ships to join the fleet, and the latest vessels joining the fleet don’t appear to be setting sail anytime soon.
The Navy began phasing out the Cold War-era Ticonderoga class, retiring four in 2024 with plans to retire the remaining nine by 2027. But the USS Gettysburg, USS Chosin, and USS Cape St. George will now operate through 2029, the Navy said in November.
With a possible war with China becoming even more probable every day, it is a problem that the Navy is decommissioning ships without replacements being available more and more. This has gotten the attention of Congress. Six other Ticonderoga class cruisers are slated for retirement in two years.
Admiral Lisa Franchetti, Chief of Naval Operations, said in her CNO Navigation Plan 2024, “The Chairman of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has told his forces to be ready for war by 2027—we will be more ready.” While it sounds good, it is not going to happen.
Cost overruns and delays are now so expected that they are no longer surprising. US shipyards are in an awful state; the Virginia-class attack submarines and the Columbia-class missile boats are well behind schedule and well over budget.
How Did The Navy Get Here?
When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and the end of the Cold War, the Nuclear Posture Review in 1994 determined that the United States Navy’s previous plan was redundancy. Rather than 18 Guided Missile Submarines, or SSGNs, the Navy needed only 14 to meet strategic needs.
Instead, the Navy decided to take those four Ohio-class missile boats, refit them into conventional land attack submarines, and equip them with 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles. These submarines also launch Harpoon anti-ship missiles. Ticonderoga-class ships carry 122 Tomahawk cruise missiles.
“That gives a total of 1,464 VLS cells for the cruisers and 616 VLS cells for the SSGNs for a combined total of 2,080 VLS cells,” Naval News’ Peter Ong wrote.
While the SSGN’s VLS cells are used for launching Tomahawk cruise missiles, the cruisers’ VLS cells can launch Standard and Evolved Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missiles, anti-submarine rockets (ASROC), and Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles, making them more versatile.
Some have been outfitted with ballistic missile defense capabilities. According to the Navy, the cruisers are designed for anti-air, undersea, and surface warfare.
The Ohio-class submarines also play a significant role in deploying Special Operations Forces; they can carry 66 Navy SEALs or Army Green Berets for deployment in a semi-permissive area. The Navy explained this in more depth:
Some of its missile tubes can also accommodate additional stowage canisters for SOF equipment, food, and other consumables, extending the submarines’ ability to remain forward deployed in support of combatant commanders’ tasking.
The two forward-most missile tubes were permanently converted to lock-out chambers, which allow clandestine insertion and retrieval of SOF personnel. Each lock-out chamber can also accommodate a Dry Deck Shelter (DDS), enhancing the SSGNs’ SOF capabilities.
Virginia-class Submarines And Columbia-Class Missile Boats
The Ohio-class submarines comprise nearly half of the vertical launch payload capacity of the [entire] Submarine Force. The Navy knew this would be a problem and began acquiring Block V Virginia-class submarines. These will have the Virginia Payload Module, equipped with four large-diameter vertical launch tubes. These hold seven Tomahawks, for a total of 28 land-attack cruise missiles. That’s not nearly enough.
The Columbia-class submarines are supposed to replace the 40-year-old Ohio-class missile boats. However, defense contractors keep announcing delays and cost overruns due to a lack of qualified shipyard workers and disrupted supply chains due to COVID-19.
These excuses are getting old, and with the Trump administration’s jaundiced eye approach to waste, fraud, and abuse, something has to change.
If China’s plans are true, then the US is going to be dangerously short of cruise missiles.
Virginia-Class Submarine: A Story in Photos
Virginia-Class Submarine.
Image of Virginia-Class Submarine. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Virginia-Class. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
US Navy Attack Submarine. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Block IV Virginia-class Submarine.
Image of Block III US Navy Virginia-class Submarine.
About the Author:
Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
