Nuclear Attack Submarines

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1 - Han
The Han became the first nuclear-powered submarine for the PLA-N.

The Han was the first nuclear-powered submarine designed and build by the Peoples Liberation Army – Navy division or (PLA-N). The Han was an original design by the Chinese navy that used the “Albacore “ hull SSN outline with the diving planes being mounted high and forward on the sail. The albacore shape is shorter and fatter than earlier boats using conventional model patterns that were longer and thinner but still continued to be deployed at the time. The Han used a single shaft propeller; this was a major stealth upgrade for the PLA-N who until that time purchased and used Soviet diesel electric submarines that used twin shaft propellers.

The specifications listed are for the first two boats placed in service, # 401 in 1974, and # 402 in 1980. The remaining three boats # 403 in 1984, # 404 in 1988 and # 405 entered service in 1991 and all served in the North Sea until at least 2002. The last three launched had upgrades that included advanced equipment and weapons and was increased in length by 26’ 3”.

In October 1994 the USS Kitty Hawk was on station in the Yellow Sea with her battle group. One of her S-3 Viking patrol aircraft detected a Han-class boat shadowing the carrier from 450 nm away at periscope depth in international waters. The submarine closed to within 20 nm before she turned away. It was obvious the PLA-N wanted the sub to be seen by CV63 Kitty Hawk as a notice that a new player had entered the area. The USS Kitty Hawk was one of four supercarriers in the Forrestal-class and is the last remaining ship in her class still in active service. CV63 made her last voyage in August 2008 and is expected to be decommissioned in early 2009 in Bremerton, Washington.

 

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2 - HMS Conqueror (S48)
The HMS Conqueror survived combat action against Argentine forces in the Falklands War and serves today as a museum ship.

HMS Conqueror nicknamed the "Conks" was a Churchill-class nuclear-powered fleet submarine that served in the Royal Navy from 1971 to 1990. Conqueror was the third and last of her class, along with the HMS Churchill and HMS Courageous each manned by 103 officers and rates. The class was named after Winston Churchill who served as the British Prime Minister and First Lord of the Admiralty The main aim of these submarines was to counter the Soviet threat by spying on the USSR nuclear submarine movements at sea and shadowing and if necessary attacking Russian ships and submarines if the Cold War got hot.

The Churchill class was ordered by the Royal Navy to replace the Valiant class fleet boats and was designed by the Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd. Company and built at Cammell Laird in Birkenhead. The boat dimensions and displacement were the same as the Valiant class but some internal changes in sonar electronics and communication gear was upgraded. She displaced 4,900 tones and was 286.7 feet (86.9 m) long, her draught was 27 feet (8.2 m), and the beam width 33.3 feet (10.1 m).

The propulsion was supplied to the boat by a single Rolls-Royce PWR nuclear pressurized water cooled reactor. The reactor created steam to power two English Electric geared turbines, producing a total of 20,000 shaft horsepower (15,000 kW) for the single shaft. The power plant allowed a maximum of 28 knots (52 km/h) speed while submerged. The Kelvin Type 1008 surface-search radar was fitted. The ships were built with a Type 2001 sonar array, but this was replaced in the late 1970s with a Type 2020 array and a Type 2026 towed array from behind the boat that can be let out and retrieved.

Torpedoes included the reliable the Mark 8 that came into service in 1913 and were used in WW I & II with much success and can be also dropped by aircraft. The 21” torpedo warhead has 320 lb (145 kg) of TNT and travels at a speed of 35 kts (65 km/h) towards its target up to 2.3 km (2,500 yds). The Mark 24 Tigerfish torpedoes were a heavy acoustic homing torpedo that was found to be unreliable. During tests on the weapon it was found that if the torpedo hit the target more than not without exploding. Many when fired did not find the target with the homing computer failing so the torpedo just fell away from the target. The third weapon on board was the UGM-84 Harpoon missile purchased from the United States. It is an all weather over the horizon anti ship missile system in submarines the missile is fitted with a solid-fuel rocket booster and encapsulated in a container to enable submerged submarines to launch through a torpedo tube to skim the surface towards its target to escape detection.

The Falklands War was between Great Britain and Argentina in over the rightful ownership of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. On April 2, 1982 an undeclared Falklands War began with the Argentine invasion and occupation of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia which British civilians and military forces were taken prisoner. The initial invasion was considered lawful by Argentina as the Islands in dispute were listed in her constitution since 1994 so it was seen as re-occupation of its own territory. The UK saw the landings and taking of prisoners as an invasion of overseas British Sovran territory.

The next day after the Argentine invasion of the Falklands on April 3, 1982 the Royal Navy issued orders to Cdr Chris Wreford-Brown commander of the HMS Conqueror to set sail from Faslane Naval Base on the River Clyde in Scotland. The orders were to rendezvous Conqueror with the British task force in the exclusion zone around the Falklands, the sail took twenty-one days at flank speed. Conquerors orders were to scan the area for enemy shipping, particularly her assigned primary target the light cruiser the ARA General Belgrano... She was deployed in a task force near the Falkland Islands, with the ARA General Belgrano to the south. The British had assigned HMS Spartan, a nuclear-powered submarine, to track down the 19,900 ton Veinticinco de Mayo and sink her if necessary Veinticinco de Mayo who previously served in the Royal Navy as HMS Venerable and the Royal Netherlands Navy as HNLMS Karel Doorman. In the first weeks of the Falklands War Veinticinco de Mayo deployed her aircraft against the Royal Navy task force with some success. The air group consisted of A-4Q Skyhawks supported by S-2 Tracker anti-submarine warfare aircraft and Sikorsky Sea King helicopters.

On 30 April, Conqueror spotted the Argentine light cruiser, ARA General Belgrano. Belgrano was sailing southwest of the Falklands with a small task force of two destroyers. Conqueror shadowed the force for days requesting permission to sink the Belgrano who was outside the exclusion zone or the imposed or area of engagement issued by the British. The Belgrano split off from her escort destroyers and began approaching the British Task Force, this was the trigger that increased the Royal Navy’s fears of a pincer attack with Belgrano attacking from the south, and the Veinticinco de Mayo from the north. Belgrano’s fate was sealed. After some debate in White Hall Conqueror was ordered to proceed with the attack on the Belgrano. Soon after receiving the order the Belgrano changed her course due to ARA Veinticinco de Mayo being out of position and not ready to launch aircraft against the British fleet.

Conqueror moved into the best firing position so a spread of three torpedoes could be fired with a high success of at least one hit. Three Mark 8 torpedoes were launched, the first hit forward towards the bow. This shot was trying to hit far enough forward to blow the bow of the ship off and explode the forward powder magazine. Neither worked the bulk heads held and no sailors were in the area, a lucky break for the crew. The second torpedo exploded behind the second smoke stack outside the limit of the side armor plating exploding in the aft machine room. The explosion blew upward through the mess halls and a crew wreck room killing 275 men and ripped a sixty foot long hole in the main deck. Again luck for the crew and the ship, no fire, but smoke filled much of the ship and the explosion damaged the electrical systems, preventing a radio distress call to be sent as an SOS. The Conqueror retired to a safe position to wait and observe the ship began to list to port and sink by the head. Twenty minutes after the attack Captain Bonzo of the Belgrano ordered the crew to abandon ship and life rafts were lowered, the sailors helped the wounded into the boats in moderate but increasing seas.

The two escort destroyers were unaware of the sinking due to no distress signal being sent or flares being seen so they continued on their course dropping depth charges. When they realized what happened to the Belgrano, it was dark and the seas swells had increased making rescue of the scattered life rafts almost impossible. It wasn’t till May 5 that all the crew boats were found by Argentine and Chilean ships. In all 770 men were found in the boats with 321 members of the brave crew and two civilians being killed in the attack.

Conqueror continued to hide from the Argentine Air Force attempts to locate and sink the boat in the days after the attack. The sinking of the Belgrano sobered the Argentine people and their government. Conqueror and Spartan’s presence in the area provided the task force sophisticated monitoring data tracking Argentine aircraft departing the mainland. The remainder of the Argentine fleet retired back into their home port never again to venture out. They became useless for the conflict over concern for their safety.

Argentina surrendered the islands to the UK on June 14, 1982 but show no sign of relinquishing her claim on the islands to this day. In 1994 the Argentine government and Captain Bonzo indicated the sinking of the Belgrano was a legal act under the rules of engagement of the day. After the war, Conqueror returned to Faslane, her home port and today is a museum ship.

 

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3 - USS Los Angeles (SSN-688)
The USS Los Angeles was part of one of the largest submarine groups constructed during the Cold War.

The nuclear-powered USS Los Angeles represented the largest constructed group of vessels for the United States Navy during the Cold War, totaling 62 ships in her class. The Los Angeles class was specifically design for anti-submarine operations against Soviet submarines that would be targeting the ever-important aircraft carrier battle groups in the event of all out war. Built and launched between 1976 and 1996, the class has continued to serve in force for several decades now and is led by the first in her class - the USS Los Angeles (SSN 688).

At its core, the USS Los Angeles is an attack submarine and, as such, the system is armed with a variety of weapon types to accomplish her task. This includes four 21" bow-mounted torpedo tubes for the Gould Mark 48 torpedo. Tomahawk cruise missile and Harpoon anti-ship missile capability is also a part of the deadly toolbox and a host of defensive systems are also afforded the system. These include Mk 60 captor mines, Mk 67 Mobile mines and the Emerson Electric Mk 2 torpedo decoy system. The USS Los Angeles is powered by a single S6G pressurized water-cooled nuclear reactor (based on the D2G) powering two turbines producing some 35,000 horsepower to a single shaft. An auxiliary motor provides 325 horsepower.

Electronics consist of a BPS-15 surface search radar and differing types of passive/active search and attack low-frequency sonar systems. Additionally, the class can also call upon a sonar array, MIDAS and a TB-18 passive towed-sonar array.

The Los Angeles is crewed by over 130 personnel consisting of officers and enlisted sailors. The official top submerged speed of the type is classified though a value of 30 knots is provided by several sources. A top speed of 25 knots surfaced can be achieved. Displacement is reported at 5,700 tons on a light load and over 6,000 tons fully loaded. The SSN 688 is one of only five Los-Angeles-class submarines fitted with a Dry Dock shelters for work with Special Forces underwater units.

The USS Los Angeles was first laid down in 1972, launched in 1974 and officially commissioned in 1976 and continues in active service as of this writing. Some 11 of her class have already been retired and she remains the second most expensive submarine class in USN service after the Seawolf class. Due to the changes offered to later models in the Los Angeles class, these are designated as 688 (original production batch), VLS (USS Providence through USS Newport News) and 688I (USS San Juan through USS Cheyenne.

 

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4 - USS Nautilus (SSN-571)
As the was the worlds first operational nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus is now a historic American landmark.

The USS Nautilus was the world’s first operational nuclear-powered submarine and the first vessel to complete a submerged voyage under the North Pole. The USS Nautilus was planned and personally supervised by Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, the father of the nuclear navy. The USS Nautilus was built for fleet duty but more importantly as a testing ground for all nuclear designs to come.

At 11:00 hours on January 17, 1955 she put to sea for the first time and signaled her historic message, “ Underway on nuclear power. “ During her shakedown cruise on May 10, 1955 she logged 1,200 nmi (2,223 km) submerged from New London to Puerto Rico in less than 90 hours. Up until that time this was the longest submerged cruise and the highest speed ever recorded, 23.3 knots. The best known voyage in her career was “Operation Sunshine”, the submerged crossing under the Polar ice cap. On August 3, 1958 at 11:15 pm USS Nautilus became the first watercraft to reach the North Pole, Commander William R. Anderson, Commanding Officer of Nautilus announced to the crew, “For the world, Our Country, and the Navy…the North Pole.” The trip of 1,590 nmi (2,945 km) took 96 hours from a point in the Barrow Sea surfacing north east of Greenland. A Presidential Unit Citation ribbon was authorized for skill, professional competency and courage to all members of the crew who made the voyage with a special clasp in the form of a gold block letter N.

The USS Nautilus is powered by the pressurized water-cooled S2W naval reactor produced by Westinghouse Electric Corporation. The reactor compartment contained the reactor, primary coolant systems, steam generators, and related systems. This area was only accessable when the reactor was offline and the engine room plus the reactor areas took up almost half of the boat. A benefit not seen in fleet boats was an abundance of fresh water for bathing and cooking due to the steam generators. Also air conditioning was needed to maintain an enclosed steam plant generating massive heat. Water, air-conditioning and spacious living and work areas made Nautilus the most human-friendly boat in history.

The armament consisted of six MK 50 bow-mounted 23 feet long torpedo tubes capable of using a varity of torpedo types. Electronics consisted of a BQR-4 passive sonar system; the 48 vertical stave hydrophones were wrapped around inside the skin of a sonar dome faired into the forefoot of the boat. However the sonar was virtually useless with speeds above 7 knots due to the noise level from the engine room.

New tactics were needed for a boat that could stay submerged for long periods. Navigation needed to be changed; no longer would she have to surface using the sun and stars for reference. Attack plans were altered using speed and wait tactics. In one exercise Nautilus proved to be a greater threat than all of the diesel-electric submarines combined. Nautilus had altered the future of all submarines and the course of naval warfare.

The USS Nautilus (SSN 571) currently resides at the Historic Ship & Submarine Force Museum in Groton, Connecticutt and is on the National Register of Historic Places. She is also designated as a national historic landmark as of 1982.

 

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5 - USS Permit (SSN-594)
The USS Permit became the lead ship of the Thresher-class when the USS Thresher was lost during dive tests, creating the new Permit-class of submarines.

USS Permit (SSN-594) became the lead ship of her class of submarine when the former lead ship, Thresher (SSN-593) was lost. She was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the permit, a food fish, often called "round pompano," found in waters from North Carolina to Brazil.

The contract to build her was awarded to Mare Island Naval Shipyard on 27 January 1958 and her keel was laid down on 1 May 1959. She was launched on 1 July 1961 sponsored by Mrs. John A. McCone, and commissioned on 29 May 1962, with Lieutenant Commander Robert H. Bount in command.

She spent five weeks of trials in the Puget Sound area, and then three weeks at Mare Island for checkout of the SUBROC missile system. During late-summer and early-fall, Permit underwent shakedown in the San Diego, California, area. After final acceptance trials in January 1963, she participated in a thorough evaluation of the SUBROC missile, and on 28 March, became the first submarine to successfully fire one. During 1964 and 1965, Permit engaged in more testing and training of an advanced nature.
Permit underwent an overhaul at Mare Island during the winter of 1966. From May to July, she deployed to WestPac, and after a short stop at Pearl Harbor, returned to San Diego 13 August. She spent the remainder of the year operating in local waters.
The submarine underwent overhaul at Mare Island in 1967. During this period, her homeport was changed to Vallejo, California. By late November, Permit was ready for trials in Puget Sound, and a return to San Diego 12 December. She operated off San Diego until 22 April, when she departed for Special Operations in the Pacific, which lasted until 26 June. From 24 July to 1 October, she was engaged in another special assignment. Permit then resumed local operations off San Diego.

Permit was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 23 July 1991. Ex-Permit entered the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program in Bremerton, Washington, on 30 September 1991 and on 20 May 1993 ceased to exist.

 

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6 - USS Scorpion (SSN-589)
The USS Scorpion was lost with all 99 hands aboard on May 22nd, 1968 - the cause is still unknown.

USS Scorpion (SSN-589) was a United States nuclear submarine of the "Skipjack" Class. Scorpion was made by the Electric Boat Division of the General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut at a cost of 40 million dollars and was commissioned on July, 29th 1960. Being bigger than the Barbell class allowed her to have an upgraded and larger power plant with a teardrop hull design with a single screw - not popular with some submariners since twin screws were the norm for the time. This new single hull design was short and fat, allowing for speeds over 29 knots (53.7mph). The Skipjack class was the beginning of the Navy’s dream of the true fleet submarine - a boat that could travel long distances submerged and could quite possibly be faster than any of the surface fleet vessels. The nuclear submarine differed from boats of the First and Second World Wars in that vessels of those earlier conflicts were not "true" submarines. Boats of those preceding eras traveled most of the time along the surface of the ocean, submerging only to attack or evade, and many of those attacks were made close to the surface - or on the surface if at night - via periscope. They were essentially surface vessels with the ability to submerge when the need required it. Nuclear subs, on the other hand, can stay submerged for months at a time, fulfilling the role of "true submarines" and changing the outcome of the mission any every way possible.

Unlike World War 2-era submarines, the single screw and her Albacore-type design did not allow for the use of stern-mounted, rear-facing torpedo tubes. The Scorpion was also powered by the new S5W reactor, making her maneuverability unmatched in her day (World War 2-era subs were generally diesel and battery-operated vessels). The sail - or conning tower - on the Scorpion was enormous compared to her predecessors, giving her a large sea outline at periscope depth due to the distance between the top of the sail and the top of the hull. The diving planes were moved from the bow to the sail as this reduced the noise level at the bow so water flow noise was effectively reduced for the forward-mounted sonar arrays. The Scorpion and all the boats in her class were reportedly quite comfortable for their crews, the berthing spaces in the large torpedo room were roomy along with larger mess areas for the officers and sailors. The engineering spaces were superior as well, as were the engine room and the machinery spaces. She was 252 feet long with a beam of 31.9 feet and displaced 3,500 tons when submerged.

When commissioned she was assigned to New London Connecticut’s Submarine station with Squadron 6 of Division 62. After test trials she departed on August 24th for a deployment voyage in European waters consisting of an estimated two-month period. Upon arrival she participated in exercises with the Sixth Fleet and NATO navies. In October she returned to New London and trained along the Eastern seaboard until early summer 1961, then, in late summer, she crossed the Atlantic for additional training operations. In August 1961 she returned to New London and was transferred to her new base of operations in Norfolk, Virginia. In her new home, Scorpion settled into performing standard nuclear submarine tactical warfare drills. She patrolled along the Atlantic coast and in the waters surrounding Puerto Rico, honing her skills and role as a hunter-killer.

 

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7 -USS Seawolf (SSN-21)
The USS Seawolf was the first in her class, a class which initially was to field some 29 ships but ended with just three produced.

The USS Seawolf was designed and developed during the Cold War though by the time she was made available, the Cold War was all but over. Some 29 vessels of her Seawolf-class were originally ordered though the collapse of the Soviet Union curtailed this total substantially to just the three ships in service - the USS Seawolf (SSN 21), USS Connecticut (SS 22)and the USS Jimmy Carter (SSN 23). The USS Seawolf is the lead ship of the Seawolf-class of submarines. The vessel is classified as an attack submarine and was suppose to replace the Los Angeles-class in number and was specifically added to the naval fleet to combat the Soviet Akula-class types.

As with any submarine since the First World War, the USS Seawolf if an offensive weapon with armament centering around her arsenal of torpedoes (hence the attack submarine designation). She operates with 8 x 762mm torpedo tubes with some 50 reload torpedoes though this munitions load can be replaced by 100 anti-ship mines if need be. Additionally, the Seawolf can take on up to 50 x Tomahawk surface-to-surface cruise missiles or 50 x AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles.

The USS Seawolf design is contemporary with her conning tower held forward. She has a single propeller shaft at rear and power is derived from the single S6W PWR nuclear reactor with an output of 45,000 shaft horsepower. A crew of up to 140 personnel operate her various systems and she can achieve a top surface speed of 18 knots. More importantly, the vessel is known for her submerged top speed of 35 knots - allowing USS Seawolf a tactical advantage when running as silent as she does (moreso even than the Los Angeles-class reportedly).

The USS Seawolf was originally ordered in 1989 and laid down that year. The vessel was launched in 1995 and officially commissioned in 1997. She makes her homeport out of Naval Base Kitsap in Bangor, Washington and serves under the motto of "Beware the Wolf". As of this writing, the submarine is in active service and has been on three major deployments since her commissioning. With only three Seawolf submarines available, the smaller Virginia-class has been acquired to help fill the strength-in-numbers void left by the limited Seawolf-class production following the end of the Cold War.

 

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8 - USS Thresher (SSN-593)
The USS Thresher was lost with all hands aboard on April 10th, 1963, during a deep sea diving test.

The second USS Thresher (SSN-593) was the lead ship of her class of nuclear-powered attack submarines in the United States Navy. Her loss at sea during deep-diving tests in 1963 is often considered a watershed event in the implementation of the rigorous submarine safety program SUBSAFE.

The contract to build Thresher was awarded to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on 15 January 1958, and her keel was laid on 28 May 1958. She was launched on 9 July 1960, was sponsored by Mrs. Frederick B. Warder (wife of the famous Pacific War skipper), and was commissioned on 3 August 1961, Commander Dean L. Axene commanding.

hresher conducted lengthy sea trials in the western Atlantic and Caribbean Sea areas in 1961–1962. These tests provided a thorough evaluation of her many new and complex technological features and weapons. Following these trials, she took part in Nuclear Submarine Exercise (NUSUBEX) 3–61 off the northeastern coast of the United States from 18–24 September 1961.

On 18 October, Thresher headed south along the East Coast. While in port at San Juan, Puerto Rico on 2 November 1961, her reactor was shut down and the diesel generator was used to carry the "hotel" electrical loads. Several hours later the generator broke down, and the electrical load was then carried by the battery. The generator could not be quickly repaired, so the captain ordered the reactor restarted. However, the battery charge was depleted before the reactor went critical. With no electrical power for ventilation, temperatures in the machinery spaces reached 60 °C (140 °F), and the boat was partially evacuated. Cavalla arrived the next morning and provided power from her diesels, enabling Thresher to restart her reactor.

Thresher conducted further trials and fired test torpedoes before returning to Portsmouth on 29 November. The boat remained in port through the end of the year, and spent the first two months of 1962 evaluating her sonar and Submarine Rocket (SUBROC) systems. In March, the submarine participated in NUSUBEX 2–62 (an exercise designed to improve the tactical capabilities of nuclear submarines) and in antisubmarine warfare training with Task Group ALPHA.
Off Charleston, SC, Thresher undertook operations observed by the Naval Antisubmarine Warfare Council before she returned briefly to New England waters, after which she proceeded to Florida for more SUBROC tests. However, while moored at Port Canaveral, Florida, the submarine was accidentally struck by a tug which damaged one of her ballast tanks. After repairs at Groton, Connecticut, by the Electric Boat Company, Thresher went south for more tests and trials off Key West, Florida, then returned northward and remained in dockyard for refurbishment through the early spring of 1963.

 

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9 - USS Triton (SSN-586)
The USS Triton made history in 1960 when she circumnavigated the globe in 60 days while submerged the entire time.

USS Triton (SSRN/SSN-586), a United States Navy nuclear-powered radar picket submarine, was the first vessel to execute a submerged circumnavigation of the Earth (Operation Sandblast) in early 1960. Triton accomplished this objective during her shakedown cruise while under the command of Captain Edward L. "Ned" Beach, Jr. The only member of her class, she also had the distinction of being the only non-Soviet submarine powered by two nuclear reactors.
Triton was the second submarine and the fifth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Greek god Triton. At the time of her commissioning in 1959, Triton was the largest, most powerful, and most expensive submarine ever built, at $109 million excluding the cost of nuclear fuel and reactors.
After operating for only two years in her designed role, Triton's role as a radar picket submarine was made obsolete by the introduction of the carrier-based Grumman WF-2 Tracer airborne early warning aircraft. Converted to an attack submarine in 1962, she became the flagship for the Commander Submarine Forces U.S. Atlantic Fleet (COMSUBLANT) in 1964. She was decommissioned in 1969, the first U.S. nuclear submarine to be taken out of service.
Triton's hull was moored at the St. Julien's Creek Annex of Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia as part of the reserve fleet until 1993, though she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1986. In 1993, she was towed to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard to await the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program. The former Triton landed on the keel resting blocks in the drydock basin on 1 October 2007 to begin this recycling process which was completed effective 30 November 2009.

 

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10 - USS Tullibee (SSN-597)
Smaller than other nuclear-powered attack submarines, the USS Tullibee proved no less important to the United States Navy during the Cold War.

USS Tullibee (SSN-597), then a "state-of-the-art" construction of the early 1960s, and was the smallest nuclear-powered attack submarine class ever built for the United States Navy (USN) - making her one of the more unique implements of that branch. The Tullibee contract was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of the General Dynamics Corporation in November 1957 and she was commissioned on November 9th, 1960.

Design-wise, Tullibee was 273 feet long and maintained a surface displacement of 2,300 tons. In comparison, other like-minded nuclear subs such as the Nautilus - the first nuclear submarine - was 320 feet long and displaced at 3,520 tons. Similarly, the newest modern submarine class - the USS Virginia - is 377 feet and 7,900 tons displaced. SSN-577’s small size required a similarly sized crew complement ranging between 7 officers and 60 enlisted men to 13 officers and over 100 enlisted sailors. The name,Tullibee itself came from a French word for the freshwater whitefish of central and northern North America. The ship was classified as a "Hunter-Killer", her primary mission being that of detecting, engaging and destroying enemy submarines in her path.

The Tullibee was a class of submarine developed as a test platform for new technology. "Project Nobska" was the research program ordered in 1956 by Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Arleigh Burke. The resulting report from the Committee on Undersea Warfare concluded that current USN technology for hunter-killer submarines required substantial improvements in order to effectively fulfill their missions. Boats needed to have the hull capacity to dive deeper and to rely on stealth so it became imperative that new technology be developed to improve on new "ultra-quiet" designs. Equally as important was the need to develop and improve the tactics needed to get the most out of the new long range sonar - giving USN hunter-killers the ability to "see" the enemy first and furthermore kill him before he could let loose a shot.

Based on the conclusions from Project Nobska, Tullibee was provided with new design system upgrades for testing for possible use in future submarines. Currently in use on most US Navy nuclear submarines was the S5W reactor, an electric drive system. The new reactor developed for SSN-597 was the S2C prototype built in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. The S2C was an advanced design and similar to the S5W but smaller in size and developed to be a very quite system. The major difference in the new S2C design was its power coming from two steam turbines driving a turboelectric powerplant. The S5W turbines drove a series of reduction gears that were not as quiet under water. Another suggested design change was to produce and test the prototype AN/BQQ Sonar System, this a bow-mounted spherical sonar array - the first of its kind. This new, long-reaching sonar system took up most of the bow of the submarine's internals and proved a breakthrough design that spurred along another new development - angled torpedo tubes held amidships along the port and starboard sides of the hull.

The all-important "shakedown" cruise for the Tullibee started in mid-January of 1961 and included all of the normal testing such as diving and surfacing the boat, checking for those all-important leaks plus reviewing all major and minor system operations such as the kitchen's dish washer (with all seriousness). With all systems checking out correctly, Tullibee was assigned to Submarine Developmental Group 2 for further testing surrounding her new prototype systems. She tested her sonar and her crew was drilled on nuclear submarine tactical exercises using all her new systems. These tests were completed in and around the waters of Puerto Rico as well as Bermuda and visited the islands during her ports of call. Into late 1963, SSN-597 continued her testing and operated out of the Naval Submarine Base in New London, Connecticut.

While performing her scheduled duties,Tullibee also participated in fleet exercises in anti-submarine warfare (ASW) tactics with NATO elements until 1965. In October of that year, she was assigned to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, for a major overhaul. This refit was for multiple reasons: first, the required normal review of all her systems and subsystems and, second, she needed some changes on her prototype AN/BQQ sonar system and the S2C reactor. This refit was completed in dry dock and took some 754 days. With everything being found correct, she was returned to active duty on January 2nd, 1968. Now with a new crew she began training so her new sailors could become accustom to the nuances of the little-yet-mighty USS Tullibee.

Once again, her port was New London where she continued her mission to train on and test her prototype systems. She continued system analysis testing in the Caribbean waters up until mid-1970. USS Tullibee then departed New London and sailed for the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean - her first fleet assignment - and during this time, she was no longer a test platform but a full-fledged attack submarine.

SSN-597 took part in Sixth Fleet exercises that included NATO forces and made port visits with the fleet to Spain, Italy, and Greece. In early December she was reassigned to New London. Before her return, she had covered some 20,000 nautical miles (30,000 kilometers) in 135 days while averaging a speed of 6 nautical miles per hour. For fulfilling her mission requirements covering September 9th, to October 31st,1970 in the Mediterranean Sea, Tullibee received the Meritorious Unit Commendation.

In early 1971, Tulliee returned to training exercises once more and worked on furthering hunter-killer tactics. She participated in another NATO exercise that year until December and was awarded the Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy for high improvement in the ship's battle efficiency readiness status. This efficiency trophy required the crew to dive and go to full-ready battle stations within a specified period of time. Additionally, reports on sonar readiness played an important role in achieving the award.

She continued to patrol in the Caribbean Sea until the Spring of 1975 to which she then departed New London for her second deployment with the Sixth Fleet. Tulliee continued to conduct ASW operations until the fall of 1976. The mission was interrupted when a propulsion problem required a two-month dock repair at Rota, Spain. When the reactor issue had been resolved, Tullibee returned to New London and operated out of her home port into 1979. In July of 1979, she once again needed an overhaul that turned out to be of longer duration than initially anticipated, totaling some 39 months. Her crew was reassigned while their boat was in the yard.

Upon completion of the refit she was re-crewed and training for the new personnel ensued for the remainder of 1982. Another setback occurred with the propulsion system in 1983 and forced the boat to return once more to the New London yard. In 1985, she was deployed for the last time and joined the Sixth Fleet to take part in additional ASW exercises. This was her new crews first deployment and the mission assigned to the Tullibee was completed with no issue. For outstanding mission compliance, the Tullibee was awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal along with her first Navy Unit Commendation.

Essentially, the SSN-597 was designed as a test ship and helped to further USN development of ultra-quite reactor systems while helping to develop the all-important long-reaching sonar for today's ASW boats. She was a credit to the United States Navy as were her crews.

The ship was assigned to pier side in New London in September of 1987. USS Tullibee (SSN-597) was then towed to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to begin a ten month inactivation and decommissioning period. The Tullibee was officially stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on June 25th, 1988, and entered the Navy's Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program in January 1995. The submarine’s reactor was removed and recycled along with as many useful parts as possible.

 

[skybolt]

11 - USS Virginia (SSN-774)
The USS Virginia is the first submarine in her class and was officially commissioned in 2004.

The USS Virginia is a relatively new class and breed of attack submarine in service with the United States Navy. She has since completed her first deployment throughout 2005 and was brought back into port for review and adjustment lasting throughout 2006. She represents the lead ship in the Virginia-class family and will be joined by no fewer than eight other sister ships when construction completes.

Power for the USS Virginia is brought about by a single S9G series nuclear reactor. A top speed of 25 knots is capable and a complement of 134 officers and sailors man her various functions. Full digital support of key systems allow for ease of use making her one of the most advanced submarines in the waters. Armament is centered around her four bow torpedo tubes fitting the standard 21" (530mm) Mk 48 type torpedo. Additional offensive punch is supplied through the 12 VLS (Vertical Launch Systems) that can support a variety of guided cruise missiles as needed.

The USS Virginia was first ordered in 1999, laid down the following year and launched in 2003. Construction was undertaken by the Electric Boat division of General Dynamics Corporation. She was officially commissioned in 2004 and continues in active service. Several of her sisters are still under construction and will join the Virginia in the coming decade.

 

[skybolt]

USS Virginia (SSN-774)

 

[jha]

Skybolt..what about soviet Subs...they were equally good...Please give some info regarding them also..

 

[Chanakyaa]

Great Collection. But You Really cant Complete the List without .....

Typhoon Class Submarine...

The project 941 or Akula, Russian "Акула" ("Shark") class submarine (NATO reporting name: Typhoon) is a type of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine deployed by the Soviet Navy in the 1980s.


With a maximum displacement of 33,800 tons, the Typhoons are the largest class of submarine ever built,[6] large enough to accommodate decent living facilities for the crew, when the submarine remained submerged for months on end.[7] The source of the NATO reporting name remains unclear, although it is often claimed to be related to the use of the word "Typhoon" ("Тайфун") by Leonid Brezhnev in a 1974 speech while describing a new type of nuclear ballistic missile submarine.

Soviet doctrine for these vessels was to have them launch SLBMs while submerged under the arctic ice, avoiding the traversal of the GIUK gap to remain safe from the enemy attack submarines and anti-submarine forces. Technically Typhoons were also able to successfully deploy their long-range nuclear missiles while moored at their docks.[