#35: USS George Washington (SSBN-598): The First Ballistic Missile Submarine
On July 20, 1960, USS George Washington successfully launched a Polaris A-1 missile from beneath the Atlantic Ocean, becoming the first submarine in history to fire a ballistic missile while submerged. That single test shot fundamentally altered the global balance of power, creating the virtually invulnerable sea-based nuclear deterrent that remains the backbone of American defense strategy today.
George Washington carried 16 Polaris missiles, each capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to targets 1,200 miles away. She could hide in the vast ocean depths, virtually undetectable, ready to retaliate if the United States suffered a first strike. This capability, the assured second-strike, made nuclear war irrational for any adversary. She completed 55 deterrent patrols over her career, spending months at a time silently cruising beneath the waves. George Washington launched the era of submarine-based nuclear deterrence that every major naval power has since emulated.
