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 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.

General Characteristics, Virginia class

Builder: General Dynamics Electric Boat Division and Northrop Grumman Newport News
Date Deployed: Commissioned 23 October 2004
Propulsion: One nuclear reactor, one shaft
Length: 377 feet (114.8 meters)
Beam: 34 feet (10.4 meters)
Displacement: Approximately 7,800 tons (7,925 metric tons) submerged
Speed: 25+ knots (28+ miles per hour, 46.3+ kph)
Crew: 134: 14 Officers; 120 Enlisted
Armament: Tomahawk missiles, twelve VLS tubes, MK-48 ADCAP torpedoes, four torpedo tubes.
Ships:
USS Virginia (SSN 774), Groton, CT
Texas (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
New Hampshire (SSN 778) - named 6 August 2004
New Mexico (SSN 779) - named 7 December 2004; construction began in January 2004

General Characteristics, Seawolf class

Builder: General Dynamics Electric Boat Division.
Date Deployed: USS Seawolf commissioned 19 July 1997;
USS Connecticut commissioned 11 December 1998
USS Jimmy Carter commissioned 19 February 2005
Propulsion: 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)
Displacement: SSNs 21 and 22: 9,138 tons (9,284 metric tons) submerged;
SSN 23 12,158 tons (12,353 metric tons) submerged
Speed: 25+ knots (28+ miles per hour, 46.3+ kph)
Crew: 140: 14 Officers; 126 Enlisted
Armament: Tomahawk missiles, MK-48 torpedoes, eight torpedo tubes.
Ships:
USS Seawolf (SSN 21), Groton, CT
USS Connecticut (SSN 22), Groton, CT
USS Jimmy Carter (SSN 23), Bangor, WA

General Characteristics, Los Angeles class

Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding Co.; General Dynamics Electric Boat Division.
Date Deployed: November 13, 1976 (USS Los Angeles)
Propulsion: One nuclear reactor, one shaft
Length: 360 feet (109.73 meters)
Beam: 33 feet (10.06 meters)
Displacement: Approximately 6,900 tons (7011 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).
Ships:
USS Los Angeles (SSN 688), Pearl Harbor, HI
USS Philadelphia (SSN 690), Groton, CT
USS Memphis (SSN 691), Groton, CT
USS Bremerton (SSN 698), Pearl Harbor, HI
USS Jacksonville (SSN 699), Norfolk, VA
USS Dallas (SSN 700), Groton, CT
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, CA
USS Minneapolis-St. Paul (SSN 708), Norfolk, VA
USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 709), Norfolk, VA
USS Augusta (SSN 710), Groton, CT
USS San Francisco (SSN 711), Guam
USS Houston (SSN 713), Bremerton, WA
USS Norfolk (SSN 714), Norfolk, VA
USS Buffalo (SSN 715), Pearl Harbor, HI
USS Salt Lake City (SSN 716), San Diego, CA
USS Olympia (SSN 717), Pearl Harbor, HI
USS Honolulu (SSN 718), Pearl Harbor, HI
USS Providence (SSN 719), Groton, CT
USS Pittsburgh (SSN 720), Groton, CT
USS Chicago (SSN 721), Pearl Harbor, HI
USS Key West (SSN 722), Pearl Harbor, HI
USS Oklahoma City (SSN 723), Norfolk, VA
USS Louisville (SSN 724), Pearl Harbor, HI
USS Helena (SSN 725), San Diego, CA
USS Newport News (SSN 750), Norfolk, VA
USS San Juan (SSN 751), Groton, CT
USS Pasadena (SSN 752), Pearl Harbor, HI
USS Albany (SSN 753), Norfolk, VA
USS Topeka (SSN 754), San Diego, CA
USS Miami (SSN 755), Groton, CT
USS Scranton (SSN 756), Norfolk, VA
USS Alexandria (SSN 757), Groton, CT
USS Asheville (SSN 758), San Diego, CA
USS Jefferson City (SSN 759), San Diego, CA
USS Annapolis (SSN 760), Groton, CT
USS Springfield (SSN 761), Groton, CT
USS Columbus (SSN 762), Pearl Harbor, HI
USS Santa Fe (SSN 763), Pearl Harbor, HI
USS Boise (SSN 764), Norfolk, VA
USS Montpelier (SSN 765), Norfolk, VA
USS Charlotte (SSN 766), Pearl Harbor, HI
USS Hampton (SSN 767), Norfolk, VA
USS Hartford (SSN 768), Groton, CT
USS Toledo (SSN 769), Groton, CT
USS Tucson (SSN 770), Pearl Harbor, HI
USS Columbia (SSN 771), Pearl Harbor, HI
USS Greeneville (SSN 772), Pearl Harbor, HI
USS Cheyenne (SSN 773), Pearl Harbor, HI