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Compared to previous ''Los Angeles'' class submarines, ''Seawolf'' submarines are larger, faster, and significantly quieter; they also carry more weapons and have twice as many torpedo tubes, for a total of 8. As a result of their advanced design, however, ''Seawolf'' submarines were much more expensive. They were intended to combat the then-threat of large numbers of advanced [[Soviet]] [[ballistic missile submarine]]s such as the {{sclass|Typhoon|submarine|4}} and attack submarines such as the {{sclass|Akula|submarine|4}} in a deep ocean environment.
Compared to previous ''Los Angeles'' class submarines, ''Seawolf'' submarines are larger, faster, and significantly quieter; they also carry more weapons and have twice as many torpedo tubes, for a total of 8. As a result of their advanced design, however, ''Seawolf'' submarines were much more expensive. They were intended to combat the then-threat of large numbers of advanced [[Soviet]] [[ballistic missile submarine]]s such as the {{sclass|Typhoon|submarine|4}} and attack submarines such as the {{sclass|Akula|submarine|4}} in a deep ocean environment.


''Seawolf'' hulls were constructed from HY-100 [[steel]], which is stronger than the HY-80 steel employed in previous classes, to better withstand water pressure at greater depths.<ref>{{cite book|last = Polmar|first = Norman|title = The Naval Institute guide to the ships and aircraft of the U.S. fleet|publisher = [[Naval Institute Press]]|year = 2004|location = Annapolis, Maryland|pages = 81–82|edition = 18|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=8MwyTX-iA2wC&pg=PA81|isbn = 9781591146858|accessdate = 2011-07-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last = Zimmerman|first = Stan|title = Submarine Technology for the 21st Century|publisher = [[Trafford Publishing]]|year = 2000|location = Victoria, British Columbia|page = 81|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=SjfgOfV8Am0C&pg=PA81|isbn = 9781552123300|accessdate = 2011-07-01}}</ref> The boats also have extensive equipment for shallow-water operations. The boats carry up to 50 [[UGM-109 Tomahawk]] [[cruise missile]]s for attacking land and sea surface targets.
''Seawolf'' hulls are constructed from HY-100 [[steel]], which is stronger than the HY-80 steel employed in previous classes, to better withstand water pressure at greater depths.<ref>{{cite book|last = Polmar|first = Norman|title = The Naval Institute guide to the ships and aircraft of the U.S. fleet|publisher = [[Naval Institute Press]]|year = 2004|location = Annapolis, Maryland|pages = 81–82|edition = 18|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=8MwyTX-iA2wC&pg=PA81|isbn = 9781591146858|accessdate = 2011-07-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last = Zimmerman|first = Stan|title = Submarine Technology for the 21st Century|publisher = [[Trafford Publishing]]|year = 2000|location = Victoria, British Columbia|page = 81|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=SjfgOfV8Am0C&pg=PA81|isbn = 9781552123300|accessdate = 2011-07-01}}</ref> The boats also have extensive equipment for shallow-water operations. The boats carry up to 50 [[UGM-109 Tomahawk]] [[cruise missile]]s for attacking land and sea surface targets.


The projected cost for twelve submarines of this class was $33.6 billion, but after the Cold War, construction was stopped at three boats.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fas.org/programs/ssp/man/uswpns/navy/submarines/ssn21_seawolf.html|title=SSN-21 Seawolf Class|accessdate=2011-08-11|work=Federation of American Scientists}}</ref>
The projected cost for twelve submarines of this class was $33.6 billion, but after the Cold War, construction was stopped at three boats.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fas.org/programs/ssp/man/uswpns/navy/submarines/ssn21_seawolf.html|title=SSN-21 Seawolf Class|accessdate=2011-08-11|work=Federation of American Scientists}}</ref>

Revision as of 20:59, 6 October 2011

Seawolf class
USS Seawolf (SSN-21)
Class overview
BuildersGeneral Dynamics Electric Boat
Operators United States Navy
Preceded byLos Angeles class
Succeeded byVirginia class
Built1989–2005
In commission1997–present
Planned29
Completed3
Cancelled26
Active3
General characteristics
DisplacementSurfaced: 8,600 tons Submerged: 9,138 tons[1]
Length353 ft (107 m)
Beam40 ft (12 m)
Propulsionlist error: <br /> list (help)
1 S6W PWR 45,000 hp
1 secondary propulsion submerged motor
1 shaft
1 propeller
SpeedSurfaced: 18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h) Submerged: +35 knots (40 mph; 65 km/h)
Rangeunlimited except by food supplies
Test depth2,000 ft (610 m)[2]
Complement140
Crew14 Officers; 126 Enlisted
Armament8 × 660mm torpedo tubes (50 Tomahawk cruise missile/Harpoon/Mk-48 torpedo)

The Seawolf class is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines (SSN) in service with the United States Navy. The class was the intended successor to the Los Angeles class, ordered at the end of the Cold War in 1989. At one time, an intended fleet of 29 submarines was to be built over a ten-year period, later reduced to twelve submarines. The end of the Cold War and budget constraints led to the cancellation in 1995 of any further additions to the fleet, leaving the Seawolf class limited to just three boats. This, in turn, led to the design of the smaller Virginia class.

Design

Compared to previous Los Angeles class submarines, Seawolf submarines are larger, faster, and significantly quieter; they also carry more weapons and have twice as many torpedo tubes, for a total of 8. As a result of their advanced design, however, Seawolf submarines were much more expensive. They were intended to combat the then-threat of large numbers of advanced Soviet ballistic missile submarines such as the Typhoon class and attack submarines such as the Akula class in a deep ocean environment.

Seawolf hulls are constructed from HY-100 steel, which is stronger than the HY-80 steel employed in previous classes, to better withstand water pressure at greater depths.[3][4] The boats also have extensive equipment for shallow-water operations. The boats carry up to 50 UGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles for attacking land and sea surface targets.

The projected cost for twelve submarines of this class was $33.6 billion, but after the Cold War, construction was stopped at three boats.[5]

The class uses the more advanced ARCI Modified AN/BSY-2 combat system, which includes a new, larger spherical sonar array, a wide aperture array (WAA), and a new towed-array sonar. Each boat is powered by a single S6W nuclear reactor, delivering 52,000 hp (39 MW) to a low-noise pump-jet.

Variants

The USS Jimmy Carter is roughly 100 feet (30 m) longer than the other two boats of her class due to the insertion of a section known as the Multi-Mission Platform (MMP), which allows launch and recovery of ROVs and Navy SEAL forces.[6] The MMP may also be used as an underwater splicing chamber for tapping of undersea fiber optic cables. This role was formerly filled by the decommissioned USS Parche (SSN-683). The Jimmy Carter was modified for this role by Electric Boat at the cost of $887 million.[7]

Jimmy Carter is currently homeported at Naval Base Kitsap. In 2006, the Navy announced that it would homeport all three of its Seawolf submarines in Bangor.[citation needed]

Boats

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Seawolf class submarines.
  1. ^ "The US Navy – Fact File". US Navy. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
  2. ^ "SSN Seawolf Class Attack Submarine". Naval-technology.com. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
  3. ^ Polmar, Norman (2004). The Naval Institute guide to the ships and aircraft of the U.S. fleet (18 ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 81–82. ISBN 9781591146858. Retrieved 2011-07-01.
  4. ^ Zimmerman, Stan (2000). Submarine Technology for the 21st Century. Victoria, British Columbia: Trafford Publishing. p. 81. ISBN 9781552123300. Retrieved 2011-07-01.
  5. ^ "SSN-21 Seawolf Class". Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
  6. ^ "USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23)". Submarinehistory.com. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  7. ^ "Seawolf Class". General Dynamics Electric Boat. Retrieved 2011-08-05.

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