The ''Seawolf'' class is a class of
nuclear-powered,
fast attack submarine
An attack submarine or hunter-killer submarine is a submarine specifically designed for the purpose of attacking and sinking other submarines, surface combatants and merchant vessels. In the Soviet and Russian navies they were and are called ...
s (SSN) in service with the United States Navy. The class was the intended successor to the , and design work began in 1983. A fleet of 29 submarines was to be built over a ten-year period, but that was reduced to 12 submarines. The end of the
Cold War and budget constraints led to the cancellation of any further additions to the fleet in 1995, leaving the ''Seawolf'' class limited to just three boats. This, in turn, led to the design of the smaller . The ''Seawolf'' class cost about $3 billion per unit ($3.5 billion for ), making it the most expensive United States Navy fast attack submarine and second most expensive submarine ever, after the French nuclear-powered
ballistic missile submarine
A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with nuclear warheads. The United States Navy's hull classification symbols for ballistic missile submarines are SSB and SSBN � ...
s.
Design
The ''Seawolf'' design was intended to combat the threat of advanced Soviet ballistic missile submarines such as the , and attack submarines such as the in a deep-ocean environment. ''Seawolf''-class hulls are constructed from
HY-100
HY-80 is a high-tensile, high yield strength, low alloy steel. It was developed for use in naval applications, specifically the development of pressure hulls for the US nuclear submarine program and is still currently used in many naval applicat ...
steel, which is stronger than the
HY-80 steel employed in previous classes, in order to withstand water pressure at greater depths.
''Seawolf''-class submarines are larger, faster, and significantly quieter than previous ''Los Angeles''-class submarines; they also carry more weapons and have twice as many torpedo tubes. The boats are able to carry up to 50
UGM-109 Tomahawk
The Tomahawk () Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is a long-range, all-weather, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile that is primarily used by the United States Navy and Royal Navy in ship and submarine-based land-attack operations.
Under contract fr ...
cruise missiles for attacking land and sea surface targets. The boats also have extensive equipment to allow shallow water operations. The class uses the more advanced ARCI Modified AN/BSY-2 combat system, which includes a larger spherical sonar array, a wide aperture array (WAA), and a new towed-array sonar. Each boat is powered by a single
S6W nuclear reactor, delivering to a low-noise
pump-jet
A pump-jet, hydrojet, or water jet is a marine system that produces a jet of water for propulsion. The mechanical arrangement may be a ducted propeller ( axial-flow pump), a centrifugal pump, or a mixed flow pump which is a combination of b ...
.
As a result of their advanced design, however, ''Seawolf''-class submarines were much more expensive. The projected cost for 12 submarines of this class was $33.6 billion, but construction was stopped at three boats when the Cold War ended.
Variants
is roughly longer than the other two boats of her class, due to the insertion of a section known as the Multi-Mission Platform (MMP) which allows launch and recovery of
remotely operated underwater vehicle
A remotely operated underwater vehicle (technically ROUV or just ROV) is a tethered underwater mobile device, commonly called ''underwater robot''.
Definition
This meaning is different from remote control vehicles operating on land or in the ...
s (ROV) and
Navy SEALs
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting s ...
. The MMP may also be used as an underwater splicing chamber for
tapping of undersea fiber optic cables. This role was formerly filled by the now decommissioned . ''Jimmy Carter'' was modified for this role by
General Dynamics Electric Boat
General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) is a subsidiary of General Dynamics Corporation. It has been the primary builder of submarines for the United States Navy for more than 100 years. The company's main facilities are a shipyard in Groton, C ...
at the cost of $887 million.
Boats in class
See also
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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 ...
*
List of submarines of the United States Navy
*
List of submarine classes in service
*
Submarines in the United States Navy
*
Cruise missile submarine
A cruise missile submarine is a submarine that carries and launches cruise missiles ( SLCMs and anti-ship missiles) as its primary armament. Missiles greatly enhance a vessel's ability to attack surface combatants and strike land targets, and a ...
*
Attack submarine
An attack submarine or hunter-killer submarine is a submarine specifically designed for the purpose of attacking and sinking other submarines, surface combatants and merchant vessels. In the Soviet and Russian navies they were and are called "m ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seawolf Class Submarine
Submarine classes
Naval ships of the United States