Skate class submarine

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Skate class attack submarine
USS Sargo at the North Pole
Class Overview
Class Type Fast Attack Submarine
Class Name Skate (a type of ray)
Preceded By Grayback-class attack submarine
USS Seawolf
Succeeded By Barbel-class fast attack submarine
Ships of the Class: Skate, Swordfish, Sargo, Seadragon

The Skate-class submarines were the United States Navy's first production run of nuclear powered submarines. They were an evolution of the Tang class in everything but their propulsion plants, which were based on the experimental USS Nautilus. The four Skate class boats re-introduced stern torpedo tubes. Although among the smallest nuclear powered attack submarines ever built, the Skate class served for several decades, with the last being decommissioned in 1989. USS Skate was the first submarine to surface at the North Pole, on March 17, 1959.

Skate and Sargo were built with the S3W reactor,[1][2] Swordfish and Seadragon with the S4W reactor.[3][4] Later, all were given the S5W reactor.[5]

Contents

[edit] General characteristics

  • Displacement: 2250 tons surfaced, 2850 tons dived
  • Length: 81.5 m (267 ft 7 in)
  • Beam: 7.6 m (25 ft)
  • Draft: 6.5 m (21 ft 3 in)
  • Depth: 700 feet (213 m)
  • Speed: 18 knots (33 km/h) surfaced, 22 knots (41 km/h) submerged
  • Complement: 84 officers and men
  • Armament: 4 x 21 in (533 mm) bow torpedo tubes, two stern

[edit] Ships

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ USS Skate (SSN 578). Unofficial U.S. Navy Site. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.
  2. ^ USS Sargo (SSN 583). Unofficial U.S. Navy Site. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.
  3. ^ USS Swordfish (SSN 579). Unofficial U.S. Navy Site. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.
  4. ^ USS Seadragon (SSN 584). Unofficial U.S. Navy Site. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.
  5. ^ United States Military Submarines: Attack Submarines. Combat Index. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.

[edit] References

  • Miller, David. The Illustrated Directory of Submarines of the World. Pg 366. ISBN 0-7603-1345-8.
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