WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The number one priority for the US Navy is to replace the Ohio-class strategic nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines with the next generation Columbia-class 'boomers', Vice Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Bill Moran said in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness.
"The top priority for the US Navy is to replace Ohio-class submarines with the next generation Columbia-class," Moran stated on Wednesday. "'Boomers' come first in the submarine world."
Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) are referred to as 'Boomers."
The Ohio class submarines were developed and designed in the 1960s and 1970s before computer-aided design and electronic visualization technologies became available.
Unlike the Ohio submarines which require a mid-life nuclear fuel core overhaul, the Columbia-class submarines have a fuel core which will not need refurbishment for the 42 year life span of the boat.
