In U.S. Navy usage, an SSN is a nuclear-powered attack submarine built for broad undersea warfare, while an SSGN is a guided-missile submarine configured especially for conventional land attack and special-operations support. The difference is mission emphasis and payload arrangement—not that one can launch cruise missiles and the other cannot: both can carry Tomahawks, and SSGNs also carry torpedoes.
The distinction is changing. The Navy announced on 3 August 2026 that 19 planned Virginia-class submarines equipped with the Virginia Payload Module (VPM) will be designated SSGNs. Those are future boats; the first, SSGN 803, is estimated for delivery in fiscal year 2029. The four Ohio-class SSGNs are the current SSGN force described in the Navy’s fact file.
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What does an attack submarine do?
The Navy describes the SSN’s core work as finding and destroying enemy submarines and surface ships. It also assigns attack submarines land-attack, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), special-operations forces (SOF), fleet-support and mine-warfare missions. The SSN is therefore a multirole undersea warfare platform, not simply a torpedo boat. The Navy’s SSN fact file, updated 24 November 2025, lists these roles.
Can an attack submarine launch cruise missiles?
Yes. The Navy says SSNs can project power ashore with Tomahawk cruise missiles. Tomahawk is an all-weather, long-range, subsonic cruise missile used for deep land attack; it is not a ballistic missile. The Navy describes launches from U.S. and Royal Navy surface ships and submarines in its Tomahawk Cruise Missile fact file.
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SSNs can support special operations too
The Virginia class supports SOF operations, and its torpedo room can be reconfigured to carry SOF personnel and equipment. That capability overlaps with the SSGN role, although the current Ohio-class boats are designed to carry a much larger SOF complement and missile load.
What does a guided-missile submarine do?
The four Ohio-class SSGNs were converted from ballistic-missile submarines (SSBNs) into platforms for conventional land attack and SOF operations. The Navy’s SSGN fact file, last updated 15 November 2023, identifies them as Ohio, Michigan, Florida and Georgia. Its published configuration says each can carry up to 154 Tomahawks in up to 22 missile tubes, and host up to 66 SOF personnel.
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The missile tubes can also hold SOF equipment and consumables. Two forward tubes are permanently converted into lock-out chambers for clandestine insertion and retrieval, and can accommodate a Dry Deck Shelter. The boats also have enhanced communications and use alternating Blue and Gold crews. SSGNs retain torpedo capability: the Navy lists four torpedo tubes.
These are conventional strike and special-operations platforms, not SSBNs in their former nuclear-deterrent role. Their shared Ohio-class origins do not make the terms interchangeable.
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How do their missions and published characteristics compare?
| Comparison | SSN / Virginia-class attack submarine | Current Ohio-class SSGN |
|---|---|---|
| Main emphasis | Broad undersea warfare: submarine and surface-ship hunting, strike, ISR, SOF, fleet support and mine warfare. | High-volume conventional land attack and SOF support from a clandestine platform. |
| Weapons and missile capacity | Torpedoes and Tomahawks. Payload arrangement varies by class and Virginia construction block; see the next section. | Up to 154 Tomahawks in up to 22 missile tubes; four torpedo tubes are listed. |
| SOF capacity and arrangement | Virginia-class support; the torpedo room can be reconfigured for SOF and equipment. A personnel maximum is not stated in the cited SSN fact file. | Up to 66 SOF personnel; two forward missile tubes converted to lock-out chambers, with capacity for a Dry Deck Shelter. |
| Length and beam | 377 ft long and 34 ft beam; with VPM, 461 ft. A VPM beam figure is not stated in the cited SSN fact file. | 560 ft long and 42 ft beam. |
| Submerged displacement | Approximately 7,800 tons; approximately 10,200 tons with VPM. | 18,750 tons. |
| Published speed and crew | 25+ knots; 145 crew. | 20+ knots; two alternating crews, each listed as 15 officers and 144 enlisted. |
| Force status | Virginia-class attack submarines are in service. VPM-equipped boats are on a planned redesignation track. | The Navy fact file identifies four Ohio-class boats as SSGNs. |
These are published specifications for different designs, not results from a controlled performance comparison. They do not establish which type is faster in every operating condition, or which is more effective in combat; missile count alone cannot answer that question.
How does Virginia’s missile payload vary by block?
The Navy’s SSN fact file describes different payload arrangements across Virginia-class construction. SSNs 774–783 have 12 vertical launch system (VLS) tubes. SSNs 784 and later use two large-diameter Virginia Payload Tubes, each able to launch six Tomahawks using Multiple All-up Round Canisters.
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Starting with SSN 803, the Virginia Payload Module adds four large-diameter tubes, each capable of carrying seven Tomahawks: 28 additional missiles in total, according to the Navy’s design description. The August 2026 announcement says 19 planned VPM-equipped Virginia submarines will be designated SSGNs. The Navy estimates the first delivery in FY 2029 and deliveries through FY 2038.
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What is the practical tradeoff?
The Ohio SSGN concentrates a large conventional missile payload and substantial SOF support in a larger submarine. An SSN’s emphasis is broader: it can conduct undersea warfare while also supporting strike and other missions, with payload depending on its design and Virginia block. The categories overlap in weapons and some missions; they are best understood as different configurations and priorities, not as exclusive lists of capabilities.
The 2026 Virginia redesignation reflects that overlap. In the Navy announcement, Vice Adm. Rob Gaucher said, “This reclassification is a clear acknowledgment of the increased lethality VPM brings to the undersea fight.” The announcement marks a planned change in how VPM-equipped boats are designated; it does not alter the estimated first delivery in FY 2029.
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