U.S. Navy’s ballistic missile submarine USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735) arrived at Apra Harbor, Guam, for a scheduled port visit on October 30.
The U.S. constantly has ballistic missile submarines such as USS Pennsylvania on patrol, provide an important element of the U.S. nuclear deterrence force.
USS Pennsylvania is the tenth Ohio-class submarine and is armed with the Trident submarine-launched ballistic missile. Pennsylvania set a record for the longest patrol completed by an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine in 2014 when it spent a total of a 140 days on patrol.
Originally, all 18 boats in the class were designed to carry nuclear missiles but a 1994 Nuclear Posture Review determined that 14 boats would be enough to serve as the nuclear deterrent and a decision was made to convert four boats to guided missile submarines (SSGNs).