This is the massive US nuclear submarine that just arrived off the Korean Peninsula

pulse

October 17, 2017 10:48 PM

Originally built to carry Trident C-4 missiles, the USS Michigan now carries a maximum 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles.

The USS Michigan, a nuclear submarine known for carrying special-ops teams, arrived in the South Korean city of Busan for what the Navy called a routine port visit last Friday, as tensions between the US and North Korea remain high.

Here's what it can do.

The USS Michigan was launched on April 26, 1980, and commissioned on September 11, 1982.

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It's 560 feet long and 42 feet wide. It also weighs 16,764 metric tons when surfaced and 18,750 metric tons when submerged.

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Its S8G PWR nuclear reactor powers two geared turbines that push the sub through the water at 14 mph when surfaced and 23 mph when submerged.

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It was built to carry Trident C-4 missiles but was converted into a guided-missile submarine on June 11, 2007.

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The Michigan has 22 tubes that each hold seven Tomahawk missiles, meaning the ship can carry a maximum of 154 Tomahawks.

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The ship carries a crew of 155 — 15 officers and 140 enlisted sailors.

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The Michigan is also known for carrying special-ops teams, and when it arrived in Busan last Friday, it appeared to have silos for US Navy Seal submarines, as seen in the picture below.

Below is one such Navy SEAL submarine, known as a SEAL Delivery Vehicle, seen from the back of Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Philadelphia during a 2012 training exercise.

Here is SEAL Delivery Team 1 surfacing in its SEAL Delivery Vehicle and swimming back to the Michigan in the Pacific Ocean in 2012.

The Michigan can hold up to 66 special operators, and its crew may train to insert such forces while off the Korean Peninsula.

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The Michigan has an unlimited travel range and has been successfully tested at more than 800 feet in depth.

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It can also stay at sea for up to 60 days with proper food and supplies.

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