American submarines: list. Nuclear submarine projects

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The navy for any country is a powerful geopolitical deterrence mechanism. And the submarine fleet, by its very presence, affects international relations and the escalation of conflicts. If in the 19th century the borders of Britain were determined by the sides of its military frigates, then in the 20th century the navy of the United States of America becomes the leader of the oceans. And American submarines played an important role in this.

Primary importance

The submarine fleet is becoming increasingly important for America. Historically, the territory of the country was limited by water borders, which made it difficult for the enemy to covertly attack. With the appearance of modern submarines and submarine-to-air missiles in the world, these borders are becoming more and more elusive for America.

The aggravated confrontation of international relations with Muslim countries makes the threat to the lives of American citizens real. Iranian Islamists do not stop trying to acquiresubmarine-to-air missiles, and this is a threat to all coastal centers of America. And in this case, the destruction will be colossal. Only the same opponent can resist the attack already from under the water.

The current US President Donald Trump in his first interviews said that he intends to further increase the US submarine fleet. But on one condition - reducing its cost. Corporations that build American nuclear submarines should think about this. There is already a precedent. After Donald Trump said he would approach Boeing for cheaper fighter jets, Lockheed Martin cut the cost of the F-35.

Combat power

Today, US submarines are predominantly nuclear powered. And this means that during operations, restrictions on combat capability will only be in the amount of food and water on board. The most numerous class of submarines "Los Angeles". These are boats of the third generation with a displacement of about 7 tons, a diving depth of up to 300 meters and a cost of about $ 1 million. However, America is currently replacing them with fourth-generation Virginia-class boats, which are better equipped and cost $2.7 million. And this price is justified by their combat characteristics.

Combat personnel

Today, the US Navy is the leader in both the number and equipment of naval weapons. The US Navy has 14 strategic nuclear submarines and 58 utility submarines.

US military submarine fleetequipped with two types of submarines:

• Ocean ballistic boats. Deep-sea submarines, the purpose of which is the delivery of weapons to their destination and the release of ballistic missiles. In other words, they are called strategic. Defensive weapons are not represented by strong firepower.
• "Boats are hunters". High-speed boats, the goals and objectives of which are versatile: delivery of cruise missiles and peacekeeping forces to conflict zones, lightning attack and destruction of enemy forces. Such submarines are called multifunctional. their specificity is speed, maneuverability and ste alth.

The beginning of the development of underwater navigation in America begins in the middle of the century before last. The volume of the article does not imply such an array of information. Let's focus on the atomic arsenal that was developed after the end of World War II. A brief overview of the underwater nuclear arsenal of the Armed Forces of America will be carried out, adhering to the chronological principle.

First experimental nuclear plants

In the state of Connecticut at the shipyard in Groton in January 1954 was launched the first American submarine "Nautilus" (USS Nautilus) with a displacement of about 4 thousand tons and a length of 100 meters. She went on her maiden voyage a year later. It was the Nautilus that in 1958 was the first to pass the North Pole under water, which almost ended in tragedy - a periscope breakdown due to a failure of navigation systems. It was an experimental and the only multi-purpose torpedo boat with a sonar installation in the bow, and torpedoes in the rear. The submarine "Barracuda" (1949-1950) showed this arrangement to be the most successful.

American nuclear submarines owe their appearance to the naval engineer, Rear Admiral Hyman George Rickover (1900-1986).

The next experimental project was the USS Seawolf (SSN-575), also released in a single copy in 1957. It had a liquid metal reactor as a coolant in the reactor's primary circuit.

First serial nuclear weapons

A series of four submarines built in 1956-1957 - "Skate" (USS Skate). They were part of the US armed forces and were decommissioned in the late 80s of the last century.

Series of six boats - "Skipjack" (1959). Until 1964, this is the largest series. The boats had an "Albacore" hull shape and the highest speed before the Los Angeles series.

At the same time (1959-1961) a specialized series of nuclear submarines was launched in the amount of five - "George Washington". These are boats of the first ballistic project. Each boat carried 16 missile silos for Polaris A-1 missiles. The accuracy of shooting was increased by a hygroscopic stabilizer, which reduces the amplitude by a factor of five at a depth of up to 50 meters.

Then followed the projects of nuclear submarines on one experimental copy of the Triton, Halibut, Tullibe series. American designers experimented and improved navigation systems and energy systems.

A large series of multifunctional boats, which replaced Skipjack, consists of 14 nuclearsubmarine Treaher. The last one was decommissioned in 1996.

Benjamin Franklin series - Lafayette-class submarines. At first they were armed with ballistic missiles. In the 70s, they were rearmed with Poseidon missiles, and then Trident-1. Twelve boats of the Benjamin Franklin series in the 1960s became part of the fleet of strategic missile carriers, called "41 Guards for Freedom". All ships of this fleet were named after figures in American history.

The largest series - USS Sturgeon - of multifunctional nuclear submarines includes 37 submarines built between 1871 and 1987. A distinctive feature is the reduced noise level and sensors for under-ice navigation.

Boats serving in the US Navy

From 1976 to 1996, the Navy was equipped with multi-purpose boats of the Los Angeles type. A total of 62 boats of this series were produced, this is the most numerous series of multi-purpose submarines. Torpedo armament and vertical launchers of Tomahawk-type missiles with homing systems. Nine Los Angeles-class boats saw action in the Gulf War. The 26 MW GE PWR S6G reactors are designed by General Electric. It is from this series that the tradition of naming boats after American cities begins. Today, 40 boats of this class are in combat service in the US Navy.

A series of strategic nuclear submarines, produced from 1881 to 1997, consists of 18 submarines with ballistic missiles on board - the Ohio series. The submarine of this series is armed with 24intercontinental ballistic missiles with individual guidance. For protection, they are armed with 4 torpedo tubes. The Ohio is the backbone of the US Navy's offensive forces and is at sea 60% of the time.

The latest project of third-generation multi-purpose nuclear submarines "Sivulf" (1998-1999). This is the most secret project of the US Navy. It was called "improved Los Angeles" for its special noiselessness. He appeared and disappeared without being noticed by radar. The reason is a special soundproofing coating, the rejection of a propeller in favor of a water jet type engine and the widespread introduction of noise sensors. The tactical speed of 20 knots makes it as noisy as the Los Angeles moored. There are three boats in this series: Seawolf, Connecticut and Jimmy Carter. The latter entered service in 2005, and it is this boat that the terminator drives in the second season of the television series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. This once again confirms the fantastic nature of these boats, both externally and in content. "Jimmy Carter" is also called the "white elephant" among submarines for its size (the boat is 30 meters longer than its counterparts). And according to its characteristics, this submarine can already be considered a submarine.

Latest generation submarines

The future of the US Navy in submarine shipbuilding began in the 2000s and is associated with a new class of boats of the USS Virginia class. The first boat of this class SSN-744 was launched and put into operation in 2003.

US Navy submarines of this typecalled the armory because of the powerful arsenal, and the "perfect observer", because of the most complex and sensitive sensor systems ever installed on submarines.

Movement even in relatively shallow water is provided by an atomic engine with a nuclear reactor, the plan of which is classified. It is known that the reactor is designed for a service life of up to 30 years. The noise level is reduced due to the system of isolated chambers and the modern design of the power block with a "silencing" coating.

General performance characteristics of the USS Virginia class boats, of which thirteen have already been commissioned today:

• speed up to 34 knots (64 km/h);
• diving depth is up to 448 meters;
• 100 to 120 crew members;
• surface displacement - 7.8 tons;
• length up to 200 meters and width about 10 meters;
• GE S9G type nuclear power plant.

In total, the series provides for the production of 28 Virginia nuclear submarines with the gradual replacement of the Navy arsenal with fourth-generation boats.

Michelle Obama's Boat

In August last year at the military shipyard in Groton (Connecticut) commissioned 13 USS Virginia-class submarines with tail number SSN -786 and the name "Illinois" (Illinois). It is named after the home state of then First Lady Michelle Obama, who took part in her launch in October 2015. The initials of the first lady, according to tradition, are stamped on one of the details of the submarine.

The Illinois nuclear submarine, 115 meters long and with 130 crew members on board, is equipped with an uninhabited mine-detecting underwater vehicle, an airlock for divers and other additional equipment. The purpose of this submarine is carrying out coastal and deep-sea operations.

Instead of the traditional periscope, the boat has a telescopic system with a TV camera, a laser infrared surveillance sensor has been installed.

Boat firepower: 2 revolver launchers with 6 rockets and 12 Tomahawk-class vertical cruise missiles, as well as 4 torpedo tubes and 26 torpedoes.

The total cost of the submarine is $2.7 billion.

Prospect of military submarine potential

Senior officials of the US Navy insist on the gradual replacement of diesel-fueled submarines with boats that have virtually no restrictions on combat operations - with nuclear propulsion systems. The fourth generation of the submarine "Virginia" provides for the production of 28 submarines of this class. The gradual replacement of the arsenal of the naval forces with fourth-generation boats will increase the rating and combat capability of the American army.

But the design bureaus continue to work and offer their projects to the army.

US Amphibious Submarines

Sneaky landing of troops on enemy territory is the goal of all landing operations. After World War II, America had such a technological opportunity. The Bureau of Shipbuilding (Bureau of Ships) received an order for a landing submarine. Projects appeared, but the landing troops did not have financial support, and the fleet was not interested in the idea.

Of the seriously considered projects, we can mention the project of the Seaforth Group, which appeared in 1988. The landing submarine S-60 designed by them involves descent into the water at a distance of 50 kilometers from the coast, diving to a depth of 5 meters. At a speed of 5 knots, the submarine reaches the coastline and lands 60 paratroopers on retractable bridges at a distance of up to 100 meters from the coast. No one has bought the project yet.

Tested reliability

The oldest submarine in the world still in service today is the Balao SS 791 Hai Shih (Sea Lion) submarine of the Taiwanese Navy. The American submarine of the Second World War, built at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, joined the US military submarine fleet in 1945. On account of her one military campaign in August 1945 in the Pacific Ocean. After several upgrades, in 1973 she was transferred to Taiwan and became the first operational boat in China.

In January 2017, the press reported that within 18 months of scheduled repairs at the shipyards of the Taiwan International Shipbuilding Corporation "Sea Lion" will carry out a general repair and replacement of navigation equipment. These works will extend the life of the submarine until 2026.

Veteran US-made submarine, one of a kind, plans to celebrate80th anniversary in combat formation.

Extremely tragic facts

There are no open and public statistics on losses and accidents in the US submarine fleet. However, the same can be said about Russia. Those facts that have become public knowledge will be presented in this chapter.

In 1963, a two-day test campaign ended with the death of the American submarine Thresher. The official cause of the disaster is the ingress of water under the hull of the boat. The muffled reactor immobilized the submarine, and it went into the depths, taking the lives of 112 crew members and 17 civilian specialists. The wreckage of the submarine is at a depth of 2,560 meters. This is the first technological accident of a nuclear submarine.

In 1968, the multipurpose nuclear submarine USS Scorpion disappeared without a trace in the Atlantic Ocean. The official version of death is the detonation of ammunition. However, even today the mystery of the death of this ship remains a mystery. In 2015, US Navy veterans once again appealed to the government with a demand to create a commission to investigate this incident, clarify the number of victims and determine their status.

In 1969, the USS Guitarro submarine with tail number 665 curiously sank. It happened at the quay wall and at a depth of 10 meters. The inconsistency of actions and the negligence of the instrument calibration specialists led to flooding. Raising and restoring the boat cost the US taxpayer about $20 million.

Los Angeles-class boat thattook part in the filming of the film "The Hunt for Red October", on May 14, 1989, off the coast of California, she hooked a cable connecting a tugboat and a barge. The boat made a dive, pulling a tugboat behind it. Relatives of one tug crew member who died that day received $1.4 million in compensation from the Navy.