Check out this Maryland Fleet Week virtual tour of USS Rhode Island, a ballistic missile submarine, or SSBN. These submarines have been used by the US Navy since the 1960’s to strategically deter adversaries by providing the United States with its most survivable and enduring nuclear strike capability. The Navy's ballistic missile submarines, often referred to as "boomers," serve as a launch platform for submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). They are designed specifically for stealth an