USS NAUTILUS (SSN-571)
• 320 feet in length, 3,539 tons surface displacement, 4,092 tons submerged displacement, 6 torpedo tubes, crew of 104
Commissioned on 30 September 1954. “Under way on nuclear power” on 17 January 1955. first dramatically demonstrated the nuclear power breakthrough by a high-speed, fully submerged run from New London to Puerto Rico and return in 1955. During the ensuing years the Nautilus delighted in confounding ASW forces. The resulting massive improvement in the Navy’s ASW effort produced confidence in our ability to handle battery submarines, but it left grave doubts, which exist to this day, concerning operations against nuclear submarines. A measure of the impact of the nuclear power plant is gained from the 70,000 miles that the Nautilus traveled, three-fourths of which was submerged, on her initial load of fuel. In 1958, she crossed the Arctic Ocean fully submerged and passed beneath the North Pole, creating a new era in man’s attempts to conquer that forbidding region and, indeed, opening a new area for submarine operations. The Nautilus will ever be remembered as the first and best known of the nuclear submarines.
USS SEAWOLF (SSN-575)
• 338 feet in length, 3,765 tons surface displacement, 4,287 tons submerged displacement, 6 torpedo tubes, crew of 104
The second of the nuclear submarines. With her completion in 1957, nuclear submarine main power plant design plans had two prototypes: the pressurized water plant of the Nautilus, and a liquid-sodium plant designed concurrently for the Seawolf. The latter had many desirable operational characteristics, but also turned out to have severe handicaps of maintenance and inherent safety which resulted in extensive operational restrictions. Nevertheless the Seawolf turned in a remarkable performance record, albeit without the dramatic accomplishments of her sister ship. To ensure success of the Nautilus, two complete water-cooled plants had been built but only one had been needed, and hence in 1959 the Seawolf’s liquid-sodium plant was removed and she was reengined with the second set of Nautilus machinery. Now aging, the Seawolf and the Nautilus are still formidable foes to any that are conventionally powered, and they form a pair for the continuing development of submarine and antisubmarine tactics.
SKATE CLASS
• 268 feet in length, 2,550 tons surface displacement, 2,848 tons submerged displacement, 6 torpedo tubes, crew of 94
Comprised of four identical submarines, the first “production models,” all completed in 1957–59. Submariners have always tried to keep their “boats” small, traditionally citing the advantages of maneuverability and lessened detectability, and Skate-class submarines reflect this, with lengths of 268 feet and displacements of under 3,000 tons. Surfaced, these submarines greatly resemble the postwar so-called “Fast, Attack” Tang-Trigger-class submarines, but their nuclear power plants of course give them entirely different operational characteristics. In 1958, the newly completed Skate spent nearly two weeks in the Arctic Ocean carrying out operational tests, including surfacing through thin ice and in the occasional clear polynyas encountered. Later the same year she surfaced through a foot or more of ice, precisely at the North Pole. The Sargo and the Seadragen of the same class have subsequently also carried out extensive polar operations.
SKIPJACK CLASS
• 252 feet in length, 3,070 tons surface displacement, 3,500 tons submerged displacement, 6 torpedo tubes, crew of 94.
Previous classes of nuclear submarines were built to conventional hull designs, but at the same time that the development of nuclear power plants was going forward, submarine designers were embarking upon the development of a new hull form for minimum submerged resistance. The final hull form, the result of several years of hydrodynamic experiments at the David Taylor Model Basin and later in the USS Albacore, was very similar to the original designs of submarine inventor John P. Holland. The first nuclear submarine to benefit was the Skipjack, and her performance on her initial trials was sensational. Among her unconventional features is a single screw mounted at the diametric center of her conical afterbody, just abaft the rudder and stern planes. Although the Skipjack is 15 feet shorter than the Skate, her large-diameter hull gives her considerably more displacement. The outstanding performance of the Skipjack resulted in termination of further construction of the Skate-class submarines. These new submarines have become the classic submarine design and are unsurpassed in speed, maneuverability, fighting prowess, and over-all design excellence.
USS TRITON (SSN-586)
• 448 feet in length, 5,963 tons surface displacement, 7,773 tons submerged displacement, 6 torpedo tubes, crew of 164.
Until recently the largest submarine ever built and still, by a factor of two, the most powerfully engined. Built to be a submersible radar picket with a high surface speed, as well as a high submerged speed, the Triton was also designed for the purpose of testing the first multiple-reactor power plant. As such she was the engineering prototype for the nuclear-powered surface ships later to be built. In contrast to current submerged hull development, she is long and slender, with two reactors and two engine rooms. With the development of new concepts in air warfare the Triton’s role has changed, and in 1961 the ship was reclassified as an attack submarine. Her most memorable feat was her submerged circumnavigation of the world in 1960, still a record for submerged endurance and sustained speed. The over-all submerged distance covered on the voyage was 36,000 nautical miles, taking just under 84 days. The actual circumnavigation began and ended in mid-Atlantic, however, and occupied 60 days.
USS HALIBUT (SSN-587)
• 350 feet in length, 3,847 ton surface displacement, 4,895 tons submerged displacement, 4 torpedo tubes, crew of 108
When the Halibut was ordered in 1956, the Navy still had a requirement for medium range, air-breathing missiles. The Halibut was therefore designed for the 600-mile-range Regulus “cruise missile,” as were two new conventionally powered “Regulus” submarines then under construction. Engineering-wise, the Halibut is another Skate, but her forward compartments are radically different because of the huge, 5-missile hangar embodied therein. Development of the Polaris missile system subsequently pre-empted further interest in the Regulus, which, among its undesirable features, required the submarine to surface prior to launching. The conventionally powered Regulus submarines have been placed in reserve, but the Halibut has been retained in commission because of the importance and versatility of her nuclear plant, and has been reclassified from SSGN to SSN. No structural conversion has yet been attempted pending resolution of current thinking, and in the meantime, since she is fitted with torpedo tubes, the Halibut is participating in tactical exercises as an SSN.
USS TULLIBEE (SSN-597)
• 273 feet in length, 2,318 tons surface displacement, 2,607 tons submerged displacement, 4 torpedo tubes, crew of 66
The smallest of the nuclear submarines in displacement, though actually about 21 feet longer than the Skipjacks, the Tullibee is another example of the Submarine Force’s desire for small packages. The Tullibee was built with a primary interest in sonar and has made her major contribution in sonar tactics and evaluation as a unit of Submarine Development Group Two, based at Groton, Connecticut. The endurance of her nuclear power plant has enabled the Tullibee to explore many ocean areas to compare the various sonar conditions, thus greatly expanding the scope of sonar operational evaluation and compressing the time required for significant developments in some of the new sonars.
PERMIT CLASS
• 279 feet in length, 3,732 tons surface displacement, 4,311 tons submerged displacement, 4 torpedo tubes, crew of 112.
The attack submarine Thresher (SSN-593) was designed to combine the best features of the Skipjack and the Tullibee, mounting improved Tullibee-type sonar and torpedo tubes. Design improvements over the Skipjack resulted in additional length and displacement, mostly associated with fire control and engineering requirements. With the loss of the Thresher in a submarine disaster in 1963, the Permit, the next ship in sequence, became the name-ship of the class. The Permit and the Plunger pioneered development of the Subroc missile, which enables a tracking submarine to attack a distant enemy by an air-trajectory, rocket-propelled, homing missile launched from a submerged torpedo tube. In the process they established standards of operational capability which have set the criteria for evaluation of the ASW potential of the U. S. Navy. The Permits, really a development of the Skipjacks and themselves evolving into the still newer Sturgeons, have been built in numbers and have become the “production version” of the attack submarine.
STURGEON CLASS
• 292 feet in length, 4,140 tons surface displacement, 4,630 tons submerged displacement, 4 torpedo tubes, crew of 107
Sturgeon-class submarines are essentially an improvement on the Permits, embodying additional length and displacement to accommodate improved equipment and personnel accommodations. Attack submarines have traditionally been extremely tight for crew space, but the extensive endurance now possible, including installed air regenerative apparatus, has dictated the considerable habitability improvement realized in these newest ships. Although still shorter than the Nautilus, these new attack submarines far exceed her in displacement and, were they not dwarfed by still bigger submersibles, would be considered “outsize.” The effectiveness of operations resulting from their nuclear propulsion, however, has changed all these old concepts. In the past, the U. S. Navy was fortunate in having developed an effective fleet submarine which was building in large numbers when World War II broke out. The Permits and Sturgeons form a similar homogeneous group today and are the backbone of our undersea ASW effort. A total of 34 Sturgeons currently are built, building or authorized, with more to come.
GEORGE WASHINGTON CLASS
• 382 feet in length, 5,960 tons surf, displ., 6,710 tons subm. displ., 16 Polaris missiles, 6 torpedo tubes, crew of 130
The Polaris submarine concept received such priority that the George Washington was actually built from the hull of an attack submarine still on the ways. The partially completed attack hull was cut apart and the after section moved part way down the ways to make room for a new center missile section containing 16 Polaris launching tubes. Subsequent ships of the class were built from the keel up, but to the same design. Thus all the George Washingtons are, in effect, enlarged editions of the Skipjack. The considerably larger size of the ship and the poorly streamlined missile section resulted in some performance reduction, but nevertheless this was fully satisfactory for the missile-launching program. Originally designed for the 1,200-mile-range A-1 missile, all submarines in this class underwent massive overhauls in 1964–66 and can now fire the 2,500-mile-range A-3 missile. One of the principal innovations of the Polaris submarine has been the provision for two complete crews (Blue and Gold) for each submarine. Polaris submarines have thus been able to maintain an extraordinary percentage of underway time and the system has been so successful as to be considered for other types of ships.
ETHAN ALLEN CLASS
• 410 feet in length, 6,950 tons surf. Displ., 7,900 tons subm. Displ., 16 Polaris missiles, 4 torpedo tubes, crew of 135
Considerably larger than the George Washingtons, the Ethan Allens are a transitional design incorporating developed desiderata after experience with their predecessors. Sixteen missiles remain the standard armament, the submarines being fitted with the improved A-2 missile. Engineering plants are essentially the same as those of the Permit class. Crew accommodations have been much improved over those of the George Washington class. In 1962 the Ethan Allen carried out a complete ballistic missile firing test from initial order to nuclear detonation on the Pacific missile range, the only test so conducted (operational tests for all Polaris submarines, carried out routinely, terminate short of detonation). The Ethan Allens, a highly successful class in themselves, gave rise almost immediately to the even further improved Lafayette class and consequently were superseded in production after only five ships had been built.
LAFAYETTE CLASS
• 425 feet in length, 7,300 tons surf, displ., 8,250 tons subm. displ., 16 Polaris missiles, 4 torpedo tubes, crew of 150
Lafayette-class submarines are a further enlargement of the basic Polaris submarine design and now reach a submerged displacement of well over 8,000 tons on a 425-foot over-all length (compared to the Triton’s 448-foot length and submerged displacement of just under 8,000 tons). They therefore rank as the largest submarines ever constructed. Most of the additional 15-foot length over the Ethan Allens has been devoted to improved habitability and crew recreational facilities, in acknowledgement of the extensive demands placed upon personnel. Earlier units are fitted for A-2 missiles, but those more recently completed are being built directly to A-3 design criteria. Ultimately, part of the Polaris fleet of 41 ships will phase into the even more accurate and powerful Poseidon missile now under development. The less effective A-1 missiles are all now out of service. The Lafayettes may be termed the “production” ballistic missile submarines, and number 31 in all. To date, more than 400 patrols have been completed by Polaris submarines, all successfully.
U. S. NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINES (In Commission, Under Construction, Or Authorized)
USS Nautilus (SSN-571)
Commissioned 30 September 1954
USS Seawolf (SSN-575)
Commissioned 30 March 1957
SKATE CLASS
USS Skate (SSN-578)
Commissioned 23 December 1957
USS Swordfish (SSN-579)
Commissioned 15 September 1958
USS Sargo (SSN-583)
Commissioned 1 October 1958
USS Seadragon (SSN-584)
Commissioned 5 December 1959
SKIPJACK CLASS
USS Skipjack (SSN-585)
Commissioned 15 April 1959
USS Scamp (SSN-588)
Commissioned 5 June 1961
USS Scorpion (SSN-589)
Commissioned 29 July 1960
USS Sculpin (SSN-590)
Commissioned 1 June 1961
USS Shark (SSN-591)
Commissioned 9 February 1961
USS Snook (SSN-592)
Commissioned 24 October 1961
USS Triton (SSN-586)
Commissioned 10 November 1959
USS Halibut (SSN-587)
Commissioned 4 June 1960
USS Tullibee (SSN-597)
Commissioned 10 November 1960
PERMIT CLASS
USS Permit (SSN-594)
Commissioned 29 May 1962
USS Plunger (SSN-595)
Commissioned 21 November 1962
USS Barb (SSN-596)
Commissioned 24 August 1963
USS Pollack (SSN-603)
Commissioned 26 May 1964
USS Haddo (SSN-604)
Commissioned 16 December 1964
USS Jack (SSN-605)
Commissioned 31 March 1967
USS Tinosa (SSN-606)
Commissioned 17 October 1964
USS Dace (SSN-607)
Commissioned 4 April 1964
USS Guardfish (SSN-612)
Commissioned 20 December 1966
USS Flasher (SSN-613)
Commissioned 22 July 1966
USS Greenling (SSN-614)
Scheduled for completion in 1967
Goto (SSN-615)
Scheduled for completion in 1967
Haddock (SSN-621)
Scheduled for completion in 1967
STURGEON CLASS
USS Sturgeon (SSN-637)
Commissioned 3 March 1967
Whale (SSN-638)
Scheduled for completion in 1967
Tautog (SSN-639)
Scheduled for completion in 1968
Grayling (SSN-646)
Scheduled for completion in 1968
Pogy (SSN-647)
Scheduled for completion in 1968
Aspro (SSN-648)
Scheduled for completion in 1968
Sunflsh (SSN-649)
Scheduled for completion in 1967
Pargo (SSN-650)
Scheduled for completion in 1967
USS Queenfish (SSN-651)
Commissioned 6 December 1966
Puffer (SSN-652)
Scheduled for completion in 1969
USS Ray (SSN-653)
Commissioned 12 April 1967
Sand Lance (SSN-660)
Scheduled for completion in 1969
Lapon (SSN-661)
Scheduled for completion in 1967
Gurnard (SSN-662)
Scheduled for completion in 1967
Hammerhead (SSN-663)
Scheduled for completion in 1968
Sea Devil (SSN-664)
Scheduled for completion in 1968
Guitarro (SSN-665)
Scheduled for completion in 1968
Hawkbill (SSN-666)
Scheduled for completion in 1968
Bergall (SSN-667)
Scheduled for completion in 1969
Spadefish (SSN-668)
Scheduled for completion in 1969
Seahorse (SSN-669)
Scheduled for completion in 1969
Finback (SSN-670)
Scheduled for completion in 1969
Narwhal (SSN-671)
Scheduledfor completion in 1968
Pintado (SSN-672)
Scheduled for completion in 1970
Flying Fish (SSN-673)
Scheduled for completion in 1970
(Unnamed) (SSN-674)
Scheduled for completion in 1970
(Unnamed) (SSN-675)
Scheduled for completion in 1971
(Unnamed) (SSN-676)
Scheduled for completion in 1971
(Unnamed) (SSN-677)
Scheduled for completion in 1971
(Unnamed) (SSN-678)
(Unnamed) (SSN-679)
(Unnamed) (SSN-680)
(Unnamed) (SSN-681)
(Unnamed) (SSN-682)
GEORGE WASHINGTON CLASS
USS George Washington (SSBN-598)
Commissioned 30 December 1959
USS Patrick Henry (SSBN-599)
Commissioned 9 April 1960
USS Theodore Roosevelt (SSBN-600)
Commissioned 13 February 1961
USS Robert E. Lee (SSBN-601)
Commissioned 16 September 1960
USS Abraham Lincoln (SSBN-602)
Commissioned 11 March 1961
ETHAN ALLEN CLASS
USS Ethan Allen (SSBN-608)
Commissioned 8 August 1961
USS Sam Houston (SSBN-609)
Commissioned 6 March 1962
USS Thomas A. Edison (SSBN-610)
Commissioned 10 March 1962
USS John Marshall (SSBN-611)
Commissioned 21 May 1962
USS Thomas Jefferson (SSBN-618)
Commissioned 4 January 1963
LAFAYETTE CLASS
USS Lafayette (SSBN-616)
Commissioned 23 April 1963
USS Alexander Hamilton (SSBN-617)
Commissioned 27 June 1963
USS Andrew Jackson (SSBN-619)
Commissioned 3 July 1963
USS John Adams (SSBN-620)
Commissioned 12 May 1964
USS James Monroe (SSBN-622)
Commissioned 7 December 1963
USS Nathan Hale (SSBN-623)
Commissioned 23 November 1963
USS Woodrow Wilson (SSBN-624)
Commissioned 27 December 1963
USS Henry Clay (SSBN-625)
Commissioned 20 February 1964
USS Daniel Webster (SSBN-626)
Commissioned 9 April 1964
USS James Madison (SSBN-627)
Commissioned 28 July 1964
USS Tecumseh (SSBN-628)
Commissioned 29 May 1964
USS Daniel Boone (SSBN-629)
Commissioned 23 April 1964
USS John C. Calhoun (SSBN-630)
Commissioned 15 September 1964
USS Ulysses S. Grant (SSBN-631)
Commissioned 17 July 1964
USS Von Steuben (SSBN-632)
Commissioned 30 September 1964
USS Casimir Pulaski (SSBN-633)
Commissioned 14 August 1964
USS Stonewall Jackson (SSBN-634)
Commissioned 26 August 1964
USS Sam Rayburn (SSBN-635)
Commissioned 2 December 1964
USS Nathanael Greene (SSBN 636)
Commissioned 19 December 1964
USS Benjamin Franklin (SSBN-640)
Commissioned 22 October 1965
USS Simon Bolivar (SSBN-641)
Commissioned 29 October 1965
USS Kamehameha (SSBN-642)
Commissioned 10 December 1965
USS George Bancroft (SSBN-643)
Commissioned 22 January 1966
USS Lewis & Clark (SSBN-644)
Commissioned 22 December 1965
USS James K. Polk (SSBN-645)
Commissioned 16 April 1966
USS George C. Marshall (SSBN-654)
Commissioned 29 April 1966
USS Henry L. Stimson (SSBN-655)
Commissioned 20 August 1966
USS George Washington Carver (SSBN-656)
Commissioned 15 June 1966
USS Francis Scott Key (SSBN-657)
Commissioned 31 December 1966
USS Mariano G. Vallejo (SSBN-658)
Commissioned 16 December 1966
USS Will Rogers (SSBN-659)
Commissioned 1 April 1967
