http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/57869915

The Future of the Ohio Class Submarine

The Ohio class submarine and its Trident weapons system is an engineering marvel designed to deter the aggression of the former Soviet Union by providing a credible retaliatory strike capability in the event of a nuclear attack. The deterrent effect of the Ohio class submarine was exceptionally successful. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the role of the submarine and its weapons system in national strategy is less well enunciated. The current National Security Policy and National Defense Policy do not clearly identify a role for strategic nuclear deterrent forces. The National Military Strategy provides that nuclear capabilities will continue to act as a deterrent by providing military options to deter a wide range of threats, including the use of weapons of mass destruction and large-scale conventional forces. However, deterrence is less effective against non-state actors or terrorists that would threaten to use weapons of mass destruction. With the threat of nuclear war reduced, the size of the nuclear capable force should also be reduced. This project provides an opinion on the number of Ohio class submarines necessary to provide an adequate nuclear deterrent, and makes recommendations for the employment of those submarines removed from strategic missions.

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