SSBN

1. the U.S. Navy designation for the fleet ballistic missile submarine.

Word History and Origins

Origin of SSBN¹

1965–70; S(trategic) S(ubmarine) B(allistic) N(uclear

Example Sentences

There are Ohio-class submarines that can fire nuclear weapons known as SSBN, or ballistic missile submarine variants.

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Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro reveals that the first Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine will be officially named USS District of Columbia — or “SSBN 826” in seagoing parlance.

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“SSBN 826 will be named after the nation’s capital while SSN 771 is named after cities in South Carolina, Missouri, and Illinois named Columbia, following the naval tradition of SSNs being named after U.S. cities,” the notice said.

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