United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2001-11-14 monographic deposited born digital 92 p. GA 1.13:GAO-02-97 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-97 P0b002ee180398088 f:d0297 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-97 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-97 GAO-02-97 Nuclear armed submarines Ballistic missiles Military operations Trident Submarine Los Angeles Class Attack Submarine SSN-688 Submarine Tomahawk Cruise Missile Other Written Product A02451 Maintaining a capable, appropriately sized submarine force is an integral part of the United States' strategy for deterring, and, if necessary, conducting wartime operations. Since the end of the Cold War, significant changes in the strategic environment have led the Department of Defense (DOD) to reduce the size of its submarine force. DOD developed four options to a carry out the reduction: (1) refueling four SSN-688 attack submarines, (2) refueling four SSN-688 attack submarines and, upon reaching the end of their operational life after 10-12 years, replacing them with four new Virginia-class attack submarines, (3) refueling and converting four Trident SSBNs to SSGNs, and (4) refueling four SSN-688 attack submarines and converting two Trident SSBNs to SSGNs. All four options help to reverse a projected decline in attack submarine force levels below the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Attack Submarine Study's minimum requirement of 55, but vary considerably in terms of the number of years they allow DOD to meet this goal. Both the refueled SSN-688s and SSGNs would be capable of performing a variety of peacetime and wartime missions, but they differ in the extent to which they can perform these missions. Converting four Trident ballistic missile submarines to SSGNs is more cost-effective than the other options in providing overseas presence. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-97/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-97.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-97/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-97.pdf GAO-02-97 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-97 Other Written Product GAO-02-97; Force Structure: Options for Enhancing the Navy's Attack Submarine Force; Nuclear armed submarines Ballistic missiles Military operations Trident Submarine Los Angeles Class Attack Submarine SSN-688 Submarine Tomahawk Cruise Missile