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To: tanknetter
Better to have them as SSGNs for the next 20 years than to have them cut up for razor blades in Bremerton.

Precisely. It needs to be pointed out that if the Navy hadn't been able to go this route with conversion of the 4 Tridents, Bush, who is deeply steeped in unilateral nuclear disarmament pledges to the Russians and Chinese, would have been compelled to dismantle them entirely.

Poisoned fruit from his "Treaty of Moscow"...even though the Ruskies are NOT dismantling their SS-18s as was expected.

This was a way to keep the "assets" from going into the boneyard. They can actually be refitted back to strategic boats relatively painlessly...removing the "quad-pack" inserts in their tubes, and replacing them with the original Trident missile capsule.

It would be interesting to see if the fire-control systems original to the Trident aren't being left for reserved future use...or if the new systems added haven't merely had that option as a "two-fer". I doubt you will see anyone actually admitting to that...and likely you will see some professedly knowledgeable submariner deny it outright and stoutly too.

Can't let it slip to the enemy what our REAL capabilities are to restore strategic strength are.

But no matter how much spin is put on this, knowing the mindset of the Chicoms and the Russian coms pretending to be nationalists (Putin) they likely aren't buying the spin.

53 posted on 12/24/2007 11:59:51 AM PST by Paul Ross (Dear Mary LaRonald Reagan-1987:"We are always willing to be trade partners but never trade patsies.")
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To: Paul Ross
It would be interesting to see if the fire-control systems original to the Trident aren't being left for reserved future use...or if the new systems added haven't merely had that option as a "two-fer".

Probably not. The first Ohios (not sure if it was the first four or the first eight boats) were configured to carry the Trident C4. Later boats were configured to carry the Trident D5. The early boats were supposed to be backfitted with the D5, but I don't think that the first four Ohios (the ones being converted to SSGNs) were ever upgraded, since they were slated for decommissioning under START.
54 posted on 12/24/2007 7:19:15 PM PST by tanknetter
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