Lafayette-class submarine

Class overview
Lafayette class submarine USS Woodrow Wilson
Builders:	General Dynamics Electric Boat^[1] Mare Island Naval Shipyard^[1] Portsmouth Naval Shipyard^[1] Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company^[1]
Operators:	United States Navy
Preceded by:	Ethan Allen-class submarine
Succeeded by:	James Madison-class submarine
Built:	1961–1964 ^[1]
In commission:	1963–1994 ^[1]
Completed:	9
Retired:	9
Preserved:	1 (As Training Vessel)
General characteristics
Type:	Ballistic missile submarine
Displacement:	7,250 long tons (7,370 t) surfaced ^[1] 8,250 long tons (8,380 t) submerged ^[1]
Length:	425 ft (130 m) ^[1]^[2]
Beam:	33 ft (10 m) ^[1]^[2]
Draft:	31 ft 6 in (9.60 m) ^[2]
Propulsion:	1 × S5W reactor - two geared steam turbines - 1 shaft ^[1]
Speed:	20 knots (37 km/h) surfaced ^[1] 25 knots (46 km/h) submerged ^[1]
Complement:	Two crews of 13 officers and 130 enlisted ^[1]
Armament:	4 × 21 in (530 mm) torpedo tubes for Mark 48 torpedoes^[1] 16 × vertical tubes for Polaris or Poseidon ballistic missiles^[1]

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

The first eight submarines initially deployed with the Polaris A-2 missile, later being refitted with the longer ranged Polaris A-3, with USS Daniel Webster (SSBN-626) having the A-3 missile from the start.^[3] In the mid-1970s they were upgraded to carry the Poseidon C3 missile.

Unlike the similar James Madison and Benjamin Franklin classes, none of the Lafayette class submarines were refitted with Trident missiles. They were decommissioned between 1986 and 1992, with one (Daniel Webster) remaining in use as a Moored Training Ship.^[4]

Boats

Submarines of the Lafayette class:^[5]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lafayette class submarines.

Citations

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 "SSBN-616 Lafayette-Class FBM Submarines" from the FAS
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "USS Lafayette (SSBN 616)" from the navysite.de
↑ Polmar 1981, p.21.
↑ Gardiner and Chumbley 1995, p.612.
↑ http://www.submarinehistory.com/FleetBallisticMissileSubmarines.html California Center for Military History

Bibliography

Gardiner, Robert and Chumbley, Stephen (editors). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. Annapolis, USA: Naval Institute Press, 1995. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
Polmar, Norman. The Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet: Twelfth Edition. London:Arms and Armour Press, 1981. ISBN 0-85368-397-2.
US Naval Vessel Register - List of SSBN BALLISTIC MISSILE SUBMARINE (NUCLEAR-POWERED) Class vessels

Lafayette-class submarine

Lafayette Alexander Hamilton Andrew Jackson John Adams James Monroe Nathan Hale Woodrow Wilson Henry Clay Daniel Webster

List of submarines of the United States Navy List of submarine classes of the United States Navy

US submarine classes after 1945

Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines - SSBN	George Washington class Ethan Allen class Lafayette class James Madison class Benjamin Franklin class Ohio class

Nuclear-powered cruise missile submarines - SSGN	Halibut Ohio class

Nuclear-powered attack submarines - SSN	Nautilus Seawolf Skate class Skipjack class Tullibee Permit class Sturgeon class Narwhal Glenard P. Lipscomb Los Angeles class Seawolf class Virginia class

Conventional-powered cruise missile submarines - SSG	Grayback class

Conventional-powered attack submarines - SS or SSK	Barracuda class Tang class Darter Barbel class

Radar picket submarines - SSR or SSRN	Sailfish class Triton

Auxiliary submarines - AGSS or SSA	T-1 class Albacore Dolphin NR-1

List of submarines of the United States Navy List of submarine classes of the United States Navy

Lafayette-class submarine

Boats

See also

References