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 the world's third-largest submarines, behind the Russian Navy's Soviet-designed 48,000-ton Typhoon class and 24,000-ton Borei class. Ohio carries more missiles than either: 24 Trident II missiles apiece, versus 16 by the Borei class and 20 by the Typhoon class.

The overall number of both Trident subs and their nuclear-warhead missiles initially deployed has been cut back in the last 15 or so years as the boats' missions have been modified to some beyond nuclear launch, replaced by conventional cruise missiles. Or some missile tubes have been designated as subject to modification in order to serve as 'launch' pads for SEAL-type infiltration mission teams. The fewer subs to track, the more assets adversaries like Russia/China will have to look for and perhaps find the remainder, by default. The fewer missiles available to launch, the fewer that Russian/Chinese anti-missile defenses will have to contend with. Plus, the Tridents were never intended or built as first-strike weapons against hardened land-based ICBM sites---just like their Minuteman counterparts. So in the aggregate, the original deterrent value has been reduced to an extent that it is increasingly marginal. Likely still the strongest, most capable part of the overall U.S. deterrent, but a reduction in force has not helped.