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U.S. Navy Faces Massive Missile Gap | GRAVITAS

The video examines the U.S. Navy’s looming “missile gap” as four Ohio‑class guided‑missile submarines (SSGNs) approach decommissioning, exposing a shortfall in conventional strike firepower. Each SSGN carries 154 Tomahawk missiles, totaling 616 launch tubes. Planners estimate the retirements, combined with aging surface combatants, could erase as many as 2,800 missile cells from the fleet. By contrast, the Virginia‑class payload module adds only about 28 cells per boat, far below the SSGN capacity. The four vessels—USS Ohio, USS Michigan, USS Florida and USS Georgia—were originally ballistic‑missile subs converted during the Cold War to fill a conventional strike niche. Their quiet, under‑sea platform offered massive firepower with low detectability, a capability the newer Columbia‑class ballistic‑missile boats are not designed to replace. The loss threatens U.S. undersea strike depth, forcing the Navy to reconsider acquisition priorities, accelerate Virginia‑class upgrades, or develop a dedicated conventional‑missile submarine. Without a viable replacement, America’s ability to project precision strike from the ocean may be significantly constrained.