The ''James Madison'' class of submarine was an evolutionary development from the of fleet
ballistic missile submarine
A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with nuclear warheads. These submarines became a major weapon system in the Cold War because of their nuclear deterrence capabi ...
. They were identical to the ''Lafayette''s except for being initially designed to carry the
Polaris A-3 missile instead of the earlier A-2. This class, together with the , , ''Lafayette'', and classes, composed the "
41 for Freedom
41 for Freedom refers to the US Navy Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) submarines from the , , , , and es. All of these submarines were commissioned 1959–1967, as the goal was to create a credible, survivable sea-based deterrence theory, deterrent ...
" that was the Navy's primary contribution to the
nuclear deterrent
Nuclear strategy involves the development of doctrines and strategies for the production and use of nuclear weapons.
As a sub-branch of military strategy, nuclear strategy attempts to match nuclear weapons as means to political ends. In addit ...
force through the late 1980s. This class and the ''Benjamin Franklin'' class are combined with the ''Lafayette''s in some references.
Design
In the early 1970s all were modified for the
Poseidon C-3 missile. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, six boats were further modified to carry the
Trident I C-4 missile, along with six ''Benjamin Franklin''-class boats. These were ''James Madison'', ''Daniel Boone'', ''John C. Calhoun'', ''Von Steuben'', ''Casimir Pulaski'', and ''Stonewall Jackson''.
[Gardiner and Chumbley 1995, p.612.]
Fate
The ''James Madison''s were decommissioned between 1986 and 1995 due to a combination of
SALT II
The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) were two rounds of bilateral conferences and corresponding international treaties involving the United States and the Soviet Union. The Cold War superpowers dealt with arms control in two rounds of ...
treaty limitations as the SSBNs entered service, age, and the
collapse of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...
.
Boats in class
Submarines of the ''James Madison'' class:
[ California Center for Military History (dead link 2015-05-09)] (Submarines marked with * indicate Trident I C-4 ballistic missile conversions.)
See also
*
List of submarines of the United States Navy
This is a list of submarines of the United States Navy, listed by hull number and by name.
List
See also
* Submarines in the United States Navy
* List of current ships of the United States Navy
* List of lost United States submarines
* L ...
*
List of submarine classes of the United States Navy
Submarines of the United States Navy are built in classes, using a single design for a number of boats. Minor variations occur as improvements are incorporated into the design, so later boats of a class may be more capable than earlier. Also, boat ...
References
*Gardiner, Robert and Chumbley, Stephen (editors). ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995''. Annapolis, US: Naval Institute Press, 1995. .
*Polmar, Norman. ''The Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet: Twelfth Edition''. London:Arms and Armour Press, 1981. .
US Naval Vessel Register – List of SSBN BALLISTIC MISSILE SUBMARINE (NUCLEAR-POWERED) Class vessels*
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:James Madison Class Submarine
Submarine classes
Nuclear-powered submarines
Ballistic missile submarines
James Madison class