The USS Michigan has displayed exemplary performance in challenging situations, and it should be a reminder to American leaders of the need to have many more submarines on hand.
The submarine remains the most impressive, important, and underappreciated manned vessel in the United States Navy today. Not only is the submarine underappreciated, but it is in short supply—at a time when its stealth and reach are needed now more than ever.
As a result of this dearth of submarines—due in part to massive ongoing problems in America’s shipyards—the Navy’s existing subs are being made to operate on extended patrols. Some of the most famous extended patrols belong to Ohio-class guided-missile nuclear-powered submarines (SSGNs).
Why Did the Michigan Get a Navy Unit Citation?
Many naval buffs are aware of the exploits of the USS Florida’s (SSGN-728) mammoth 727-day deployment. Fewer know about her sister ship, the USS Michigan (SSGN-727). Between 2022 and 2024, the Michigan engaged in a series of special operations missions, resulting in the mighty submarine receiving a Navy Unit Citation (NUC) in December 2024.
According to Joseph Trevithick at The War Zone, who managed to gain access to the otherwise secretive text of the NUC, the Michigan’s crew was awarded the NUC because of the crew’s “superb operational planning and risk management and precise tactical execution […] Michigan completed three highly successful missions vital to national security and several special warfare operations. Their achievements contributed to multiple high priority national and theater objectives and significantly enhanced warfighting readiness in the Western Pacific.”
But here’s the most interesting part of the NUC language: “Michigan’s performance advanced multiple naval special warfare and undersea warfare emerging capabilities as well as concepts, tactics, techniques, and procedures, particularly involving the employment of unmanned undersea vehicles.”
The Michigan Might Be Using Undersea Drones
Utilizing unmanned undersea vehicles—more commonly known as drones—on the Ohio-class guided-missile submarines is an excellent use of resources. It conditions the crew to employ those new systems in challenging situations, and merges the three most important assets the Navy will have if a great power war erupts in the Indo-Pacific region, where the Michigan was operating when they received the NUC.
Undersea drones, manned submarines, and Special Operations units deployed from the dry deck shelters of the Ohio-class SSGNs will be the key to any victory in a naval war with China. We do not know what the precise nature of the NUC was. We know only that it involved undersea drones and U.S. Special Forces, and that its missions were successful.
But we can surmise that the targets were likely either Chinese, North Korean, or even non-state actors who are based in the Indo-Pacific region. The reason that the drones were used was likely because the regions the Michigan was operating in were hard to penetrate conventionally. This is where drones come in handy.
The USS Michigan has been the source of many historic events in recent history. She was involved with a major show of force off South Korea during significant tensions with North Korea in 2017. The Michigan made history in 2016, when the first enlisted female sailor to earn a submarine qualification on a U.S. submarine did so on the Michigan.
The Importance of the Ohio-Class Submarine
USS Michigan is one of only four guided-missile submarines. Originally commissioned in 1982 as a ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), she was eventually converted to a guided-missile submarine in 2006. Built by General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Conn., and homeported in Bangor, Wash., the Michigan has been a cornerstone of the U.S. Navy’s strategic deterrence and power projection—notably in the Indo-Pacific.
As an SSBN, the Michigan completed 66 strategic deterrent patrols, carrying up to 24 Trident II ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads, ensuring the United States maintained a credible second-strike capability notably during the Cold War. After its SSGN conversion at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, the submarine was equipped to carry up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles and support special operations, significantly enhancing its versatility.
The Michigan is one of America’s most innovative submarines. It has displayed exemplary performance in challenging situations, and it should be a reminder to American leaders of the need to have many more submarines on hand. Sadly, the Navy’s lack of prioritization on submarines, coupled with the aforementioned broken shipyards in the United States, means that we will continue relying on relatively old—and too few in number—SSGNs like the Michigan. Let us hope China doesn’t build more systems to overwhelm them!
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
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