Home : Heath Elliot Johnmeyer, United States Navy :

Attack Submarines - SSN

Emergency Blow Right Click To Start

Description:

Attack submarine, designed to seek and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships.

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 from Fleet 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.

Size: 353 feet long by 40 feet wide, displacing 9,150 tons submerged Propulsion and Speed: One nuclear reactor; 25+ knots (28+ mph) Mission: Seek and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships. Seawolf was designed to be the quietest and best–armed sub with twice the weapons of the Los Angeles class. The end of the Cold War reduced America's need for the Seawolf. Only 3 will be built. Crew of 134.

General Characteristics

Virginia class

Builders: General Dynamics Electric Boat Division and Newport News Shipbuilding.

Power Plant: One nuclear reactor, one shaft

Length: 377 feet (114.91 meters)

Beam: 34 feet (10.36 meters)

Displacement: Approx. 7,800 tons (7,925.18 metric tons)

Speed: 25+ knots (28+ miles per hour, 46.3+ kph)

Cost: about $1.65 billion each (based on FY95 dollars and 30-ship class)

Crew: 134 Officers and Enlisted

Armament: Tomahawk missiles, VLS tubes, MK-48 torpedoes, four torpedo tubes, advanced mobile mines, and unmanned undersea vehicles.

Seawolf class

Builders: General Dynamics Electric Boat Division.

Power Plant: One nuclear reactor, one shaft

Length: 353 feet (107.6 meters)

Draft: 35 feet (10.67 meters)

Beam: 40 feet (12.2 meters)

Displacement: 8,060 tons (8,189.35 metric tons) surfaced; 9,150 tons (9,296.84 metric tons) submerged

Speed: 25+ knots (28+ miles per hour, 46.3+ kph)

Cost: about $2.1 billion each

Crew: 13 Officers; 121 Enlisted

Armament: Tomahawk missiles, MK-48 torpedoes, eight torpedo tubes.

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)

Displacement: Approx. 6,900 tons (7010.73 metric tons) submerged

Speed: 20+ knots (23+ miles per hour, 36.8 +kph)

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)

Sturgeon Class

Builders: General Dynamics Electric Boat Division; General Dynamics, Quincy

Power Plant: One nuclear reactor, one shaft

Length: SSN 687-677 292 ft (89 m) SSN 678-687 300 ft (91.44 m)

Beam: 32 ft (9.75 m)

Displacement submerged: approx. 4,640 long tons 4,714.5 metric tons

Speed: 20+ knots 23.02+ mph 37.05+ km/h

Crew: 12 Officers, 95 Enlisted

Armament: MK-48 torpedoes, four torpedo tubes; Tomahawk missiles.

Date Deployed: March 3, 1967 (USS Sturgeon)

Benjamin Franklin Class

Builders: Mare Island Naval Shipsyard; General Dynamics Electric Boat Division

Power Plant: One nuclear reactor, one shaft

Length: 425 ft (129.5 m)

Beam: 33 ft (10.1 m)

Displacement submerged: approx. 8,250 long tons 8,382 metric tons

Speed: 20+ knots 23.02+ mph 37.05+ km/h

Crew: 13 Officers, 107 Enlisted

Armament: MK-48 torpedoes, four torpedo tubes

Date Deployed: Oct. 22, 1965 (USS Benjamin Franklin)

Designed by Electric Boat, the Virginia-class is being built jointly under a teaming arrangement between Electric Boat and Northrop Grumman Newport News in Virginia, in coordination with the Navy’s Supervisors of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair in Newport News and Groton.

The Virginia-class will provide the U.S. Navy with the capabilities it requires to meet the threats of the 21st century. Virginia will have improved stealth, sophisticated surveillance capabilities, and special warfare enhancements that will enable it to meet the Navy's multimission requirements.

Virginia will be able to attack targets ashore with highly accurate Tomahawk cruise missiles and conduct covert long-term surveillance of land areas, littoral waters, or other sea forces. Virginia will also have superior anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare capabilities, provide Special Forces delivery and support, and conduct mine delivery and minefield mapping. With enhanced communications connectivity, Virginia also will provide important battle group and joint task force support, with full integration into carrier strike group operations. The superior capabilities of Virginia-class will ensure the United States maintains undersea dominance, in both deep and shallow waters, well into this century.

With an eye to the future, the Submarine Force is poised to extend its dominance of the world’s deep waters and littorals as we take delivery of Jimmy Carter, the last of the Seawolf-class. Texas and Hawaii are working to join the fleet in 2006, and will take their places in a long and superb lineage. On the horizon, North Carolina is more than 50 percent complete. She, along with the rest of the Virginia-class, will have revolutionary technology to conduct, among other things, covert special operations; covert intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and electronic warfare; because, stealth truly does matter.

top of page

back a page