By my count the USA currently has at a minimum 20 nuclear submarines on patrol at all times. Each one has 24 missiles and each missile has up to 10 warheads. Do the math, 20X24X10=4800 nuclear warheads ready to reign destruction on any number of enemies at any time. These submarines cannot be tracked ands no one has a clue where they are at any given time. This says nothing of the vast armada of war ships and our kick ass air force. Some in this world may think it fun to tweak the tigers tail but they better be careful not to push to hard. The results of a miscalculation are truly unimaginable.
If anyone has a problem with low blood pressure, and wants it raised, Reliable Sources is on CNN now.
The United States has 18 Ohio class submarines:
The 14 Trident II SSBNs together carry around fifty percent of the total U.S. strategic warhead inventory. The exact number varies in an unpredictable and highly classified manner, below a maximum set by various strategic arms limitation treaties. Although the missiles have no pre-set targets when the submarine goes on patrol, the platform, when required, is capable of rapid targeting using secure and constant at-sea communications links. The Ohio class is the largest type of submarine ever constructed for the U.S. Navy, and internationally are second only to the Russian Typhoon class submarine in mass and size.
- 14 nuclear-powered SSBNs, each armed with 24 Trident II SLBMs; they are also known as "Trident" submarines, and provide the sea-based leg of the nuclear triad of the United States strategic deterrent forces
- 4 nuclear-powered SSGNs, each armed with 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles with conventional warheads
The Ohio class submarines were specifically designed for extended deterrence patrols. Each submarine is complemented by two crews, Blue and Gold, with each crew operating on a 100-day interval. To decrease the time in port for crew turnover and replenishment, three large logistics hatches are fitted to provide large diameter resupply and repair openings. These hatches allow sailors to rapidly transfer supply pallets, equipment replacement modules and machinery components, significantly reducing the time required for replenishment and maintenance. The class design allows the vessel to operate for 15+ years between overhauls. The boats are purported to be as stealthy at 20 knots (their cruising speed) as previous boats were at a dead crawl of 6 knots, although exact information remains classified.
The Trident II missle has 8 MIRV warheads, so it's 24 missiles x 8 warheads x 14 SSBNs = 2688 warheads available, assuming all of the ships are at sea. As you say (and MNJ has been saying) there's no doubt who will win if it comes to all out war. The issue for me is whether we will get a chance to use that overwhelming force. Like Gulliver we are currently tied down by treaties and "world opinion" and our Lillipution believe (IMHO) that they can do anything they want and we'll never really hit back. And now they either already have or will soon acquire weapons that can truly hurt us, albeit much less than we can hurt them.
My concern is that they won't realize or don't care that they'll die real fast if they try it. And if they try and we respond with all of our might what will that cost us?