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Attack
Submarines - SSN
Virginia
class; Los Angeles
class; Seawolf
class
Description: Attack
submarine, designed to seek and destroy enemy submarines
and surface ships.
Background: The concept of
technical superiority over numerical superiority was and
still is the driving force in American submarine
development. A number of Third World countries are
acquiring modern state-of-the-art non-nuclear submarines.
Countering this threat is the primary mission of U.S.
nuclear attack submarines.
Their other missions range from
intelligence collection and special forces delivery to
anti-ship and strike warfare. The Navy began construction
of Seawolf class submarines in 1989. Seawolf
is designed to be exceptionally quiet, fast well-armed
with advanced sensors. It is a multi-mission vessel,
capable of deploying to forward ocean areas to search out
and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships and to
fire missiles in support of other forces.
The first of the class, Seawolf
(SSN 21), completed its initial sea trials in July 1996.
Attack submarines also carry the Tomahawk cruise
missile. Tomahawk launches from attack submarines
were successfully conducted during Operation Desert
Storm.
In late 1998, the contract was let
for building the first of the New Attack Submarine. This
class, the Virginia-class fully embraces the new
strategic concept in ... From the Sea and Forward...
From the Sea. It is the first U.S. submarine to be
designed for battlespace dominance across a broad
spectrum of regional and littoral missions as well as
open-ocean, "blue water" missions. The Virginia-class
achieves the right balance of core military capabilities
and affordability.
The Benjamin Franklin-class
were converted fromFleet Ballistic Missile submarines and
carry drydeck shelters. They are equipped for special
operations and support SEALS. The former missile spaces
have been converted to accommodations, storage, and
recreation spaces.
General Characteristics, Virginia
class
Builders: General Dynamics
Electric Boat Division and Northrop Grumman Newport News
Power Plant: One nuclear reactor, one shaft
Length: 377 feet (114.8 meters)
Beam: 34 feet (10.4 meters)
Submerged Displacement: Approx. 7,800 tons (7,925
metric tons)
Speed: 25+ knots (28+ miles per hour, 46.3+ kph)
Commissioning date: Tentatively 23
October 2004
Ships:
Virginia SSN 774, under
construction; delivery in 2004
Texax SSN 775,
under construction; delivery in 2005
Hawaii SSN 776,
under construction; delivery in 2006
North Carolina SSN 777,
named 11 December 2000; delivery in 2007
Crew: 134: 14 Officers; 120 Enlisted
Armament: Tomahawk missiles, twelve VLS
tubes, MK-48 ADCAP torpedoes, four torpedo tubes.
General Characteristics, Seawolf
class
Builders: General Dynamics
Electric Boat Division.
Power Plant: One nuclear reactor, one shaft
Length:
SSNs 21 and 22: 353 feet (107.6 meters)
SSN 23: 453 feet (138.07 meters)
Beam: 40 feet (12.2 meters)
Submerged Displacement:
SSNs 21 and 22: 9,138 tons (9,284 metric tons);
SSN 23 12,158 tons (12,353 metric tons)
Speed: 25+ knots (28+ miles per hour, 46.3+ kph)
Ships:
USS Seawolf (SSN 21),
Groton, Ct.
USS Connecticut
(SSN 22), Groton, Ct.
Jimmy Carter (SSN 23), (under construction)
Crew: 140: 14 Officers; 126 Enlisted
Armament: Tomahawk missiles, MK-48
torpedoes, eight torpedo tubes.
Commissioning dates: Seawolf –
19 July 1997; Connecticut – 11 December
1998
Commissioning date: Jimmy Carter
– Early 2005 (To be determined).
General Characteristics, Los
Angeles class
Builders: Newport News
Shipbuilding Co.; General Dynamics Electric Boat
Division.
Power Plant: One nuclear reactor, one shaft
Length: 360 feet (109.73 meters)
Beam: 33 feet (10.06 meters)
Submerged Displacement: Approx. 6,900 tons (7011
metric tons)
Speed: 20+ knots (23+ miles per hour, 36.8 +kph)
Ships:
USS Los Angeles (SSN
688), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Philadelphia
(SSN 690), Groton, Conn.
USS Memphis (SSN
691), Groton, Conn.
USS Bremerton
(SSN 698), San Diego, Calif.
USS Jacksonville
(SSN 699), Norfolk, Va.
USS Dallas (SSN
700), Groton, Conn.
USS La Jolla
(SSN 701), Pearl Harbor, Hi.
USS City of Corpus Christi
(SSN 705), Guam.
USS Albuquerque
(SSN 706), Portsmouth, NH
USS Portsmouth
(SSN 707), San Diego, Calif.
USS Minneapolis-St. Paul
(SSN 708), Norfolk, Va.
USS Hyman G. Rickover
(SSN 709), Norfolk, Va.
USS Augusta (SSN
710), Groton, Conn.
USS San Francisco
(SSN 711), Guam.
USS Houston (SSN
713), Bremerton, Wa.
USS Norfolk (SSN
714), Norfolk, Va.
USS Buffalo (SSN
715), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Salt Lake City
(SSN 716), San Diego, Calif.
USS Olympia (SSN
717), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Honolulu (SSN
718), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Providence
(SSN 719), Groton, Conn.
USS Pittsburgh
(SSN 720), Groton, Conn.
USS Chicago (SSN
721), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Key West
(SSN 722), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Oklahoma City
(SSN 723), Norfolk, Va.
USS Louisville
(SSN 724), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Helena (SSN
725), San Diego, Calif.
USS Newport News
(SSN 750), Norfolk, Va.
USS San Juan
(SSN 751), Groton, Conn.
USS Pasadena
(SSN 752), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Albany (SSN
753), Norfolk, Va.
USS Topeka (SSN
754), San Diego, Calif.
USS Miami (SSN
755), Groton, Conn.
USS Scranton
(SSN 756), Norfolk, Va.
USS Alexandria
(SSN 757), Groton, Conn.
USS Asheville
(SSN 758), San Diego, Calif.
USS Jefferson City
(SSN 759), San Diego, Calif.
USS Annapolis
(SSN 760), Groton, Conn.
USS Springfield (SSN
761), Groton, Conn.
USS Columbus
(SSN 762), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Santa Fe
(SSN 763), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Boise (SSN
764), Norfolk, Va.
USS Montpelier
(SSN 765), Norfolk, Va.
USS Charlotte (SSN
766), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
USS Hampton (SSN
767), Norfolk, Va.
USS Hartford
(SSN 768), Groton, Conn.
USS Toledo (SSN
769), Groton, Conn.
USS Tucson (SSN
770), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Columbia
(SSN 771), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Greeneville
(SSN 772), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Cheyenne
(SSN 773), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Crew: 13 Officers, 121 Enlisted
Armament: Tomahawk missiles, VLS tubes (SSN
719 and later), MK-48 torpedoes, four torpedo tubes (Seawolf
has 8).
Date deployed: November 13, 1976 (USS Los
Angeles)
Credits: US Navy
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