![]() Among these was the Alfa class, built in the 1970s, which had 30-man crews and could achieve speeds of 43 knots (80 kph) and depths of 2,000 feet (600 m). The Soviets, with their more limited budgets, were actually decades ahead of the Americans in one area: the SSGN, which they first began operating in the 1960s.īy 1980, the Soviet Union had 480 submarines, of which 71 were fast-attack craft and 94 SSBNs or SSGNs. By the late 1950s, they had deployed their first diesel and electric ballistic missile submarines, and in 1960 launched their first nuclear-powered subs. Their first subs were based on German models observed during World War II. In submarines as in much else, the Soviets lagged behind their Western foes, and what they lacked in sophistication and accuracy they attempted to make up for in numbers. SSGNs will be equipped with as many as 154 Tomahawk missiles. The primary mission of the latter will be support for land attack and special operations forces, a change that reflects that differences between the Cold War battlefield and more modern asymmetric warfare. strategic warheads.įour of the Ohio class were scheduled for inactivation in 20, but instead they are being converted to guided missile submarines (SSGN). The 18 SSBNs of the Ohio class together carry 50% of all U.S. The first 12 were equipped to carry 24 Trident I missiles, and with the introduction of the Trident II in 1990, subsequent models were built for this newer, larger missile. Ohio class subs are 560 feet (170.7 m) long and 42 feet(12.8 m) abeam. The next generation of SSBN arrived with the Ohio, which inaugurated a much larger class of sub in 1981. By 1979, the even more advanced Trident I missile had been introduced, and the last 12 of the original 41 SSBNs were converted for this missile. (The first two groups consisted of five submarines each, with 31 in the third group.) Each of these carried 16 Polaris nuclear missiles, but in 1972, conversion to the more accurate Poseidon missile began. During the period from 1960 to 1966, the Navy introduced a total of 41 SSBNs, or "boomers." This group was nicknamed "41 for Freedom," because each was named after a hero from American history, as reflected in the names of the three classes: George Washington, Ethan Allen, and Benjamin Franklin. The Los Angeles class wasīuilt during a period from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s, and many are still in use. At 362 feet (110 m) long and 33 feet (10 m) abeam, they can accommodate a crew of 127 or more. (These figures are approximate, since the exact speed of the Sturgeon class is classified.)Īnother phase in this second generation of SSNs was the Los Angeles class, a group of 62 craft that can submerge to depths of 800 feet (240 m) or more. ![]() Its speed was an impressive 20 knots (37 kph) on the surface and 25 knots (46 kph) when submerged. First in a 37-member class, the Sturgeon was powered by a single Westinghouse Model 5 pressurized-water nuclear reactor. The Navy inaugurated a new era with the commissioning of the Sturgeon on March 3, 1967. It was followed during the 1950s by almost two dozen other craft, including several in the Skate, Shipjack, and Triton classes. Navy's first nuclear sub was the Nautilus, commissioned on September 30, 1954. Their principal weapon was the torpedo, although at times they were armed with tactical missiles such as the cruise missile. submarines, the fast attack submarine (SSN) and the nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), nicknamed the "boomer." Both were nuclear-powered.įast attack submarines were tasked toward locating and tracking their Soviet counterparts, for which they carried extensive intelligence-gathering equipment. Submarinesĭuring the Cold War, there were two principal types of U.S. After the Cold War concluded, Washington was faced with the possible threat of non-nuclear submarine deployment by third world nations. Such was the case during the Cold War, when the United States led in nuclear submarine development while the Soviets marshaled a much larger submarine fleet. In developing its submarines, the United States has tended to pursue technical, rather than numerical, superiority.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |