USS Florida (SSBN-728/SSGN-728), an Ohio-class cruise missile submarine, is the sixth vessel of the United States Navy to be named for the U.S. state of Florida. She was commissioned with the hull designation of SSBN-728; with her conversion to a cruise missile submarine, from a ballistic missile submarine, she was re-designated SSGN-728.
USS Florida (SSGN-728)
The patch designed by the pre-commissioning crew, prior to the naming. Rumors said the boat was to be named Iowa.
The Ohio class of nuclear-powered submarines includes the United States Navy's 14 ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) and its four cruise missile submarines (SSGNs). Each displacing 18,750 tons submerged, the Ohio-class boats are the largest submarines ever built for the U.S. Navy. They are also the third-largest submarines ever built, behind the Russian Navy's Soviet era 48,000-ton Typhoon class, the last of which was retired in 2023, and 24,000-ton Borei class. Capable of carrying 24 Trident II missiles apiece, the Ohio class are equipped with just as many missiles as, if not more than, either the Borei class (16) or the deactivated Typhoon class (20).
USS Ohio, during her commissioning ceremony in 1981.
USS Michigan (SSBN-727) at a dry-dock in November 2002, before its conversion to an SSGN
USS Ohio being converted from an SSBN to an SSGN in March 2004
Artist's concept of an Ohio-class SSGN launching Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles