Ethan Allen class submarine

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Ethan Allen class ballistic missile submarine

Class Overview
Class Type	Ballistic Missile Submarine
Class Name	In honor of Ethan Allen
Preceded By	George Washington-class ballistic missile submarine
Succeeded By	Lafayette-class ballistic missile submarine
Ships of the Class:	A complete list of Ethan Allen class submarines is listed to the left

The Ethan Allen class of fleet ballistic missile submarine was an evolutionary development from the George Washington class. Together with the George Washington, the Lafayette, the James Madison, and the Benjamin Franklin classes, they comprised the "41 for Freedom."

Rather than being designed as Skipjack-class attack submarines with a missile compartment added, the Ethan Allens were designed from scratch as fleet ballistic missile submarines carrying the Polaris A-2 missile. In the early and mid-1970s, they were further upgraded to Polaris A3s.