SSGN

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SSGN can also mean "Special Services Group Naval", a Pakistan sea-commando unit: see frogman#Pakistan.

SSGN is the United States Navy hull classification symbol for a nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine. The SS denotes a "submersible ship", the G denotes "guided missile," and the N denotes "nuclear powered."

The first SSGN in the U.S. Navy was USS Halibut (SSGN-587). She was built to launch the nuclear tipped Regulus Missile in the 1950's. When the Regulus program ended in 1964, she became SSN-587.

The US Navy is modifiying the four oldest Ohio class Trident submarines to SSGN configuration. This is achieved by the installation of vertical launch systems (VLS) in a configuration dubbed "Multiple All-up-round Canister (MAC)", which converts 22 of the 24 missile tubes which previously held one large nuclear-tipped strategic ballistic missile each, with 7 smaller Tomahawk cruise missiles, and the 2 remaining tubes are converted to Lock Out Chambers (LOC) to be used by SOF personnel who can be carried on board. The capability to carry 154 Tomahawk missles makes the SSGN class submarines the single most deadly non-nuclear-armed warships ever known to man. The MAC tubes can also be used to carry and launch UAVs or UUVs which give the ship remote controlled "eyes & ears" allowing the ship to act as a forward-deployed command & control center. If the maximum of 154 Tomahawk missiles were loaded, one Ohio class SSGN would carry an entire Battle Group's equivalent of cruise missiles. Ohio (SSGN-726) completed its conversion and began sea trials in early 2006. In addition the the USS Ohio (SSGN 726), three other SSBNs are being converted to the SSGN platform: Michigan (SSGN 727), Georgia (SSGN 729), and Florida (SSGN 728). Florida conducted the initial testing required to determine whether the SSGN project was in fact possible. This included the first launching of a Tomahawk missile from the SSBN platform. (http://navysite.de/ssbn/ssbn728.htm)

The Soviet Navy had several submarines that were called SSGNs by Western observers. These were armed with anti-shipping missiles such as the SS-N-19 or land attack missiles. They included the NATO reporting names Golf, Echo, Yankee Notch, and Oscar classes of submarine.