NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Hawkbill with DSRV, 1971

Ships

No	Name	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comm	Fate
SSN637	Sturgeon	168	Electric Boat, Groton	10.8.1963	26.2.1966	3.3.1967	stricken 8.1994
SSN638	Whale	1	General Dynamics, Quincy	27.5.1964	14.10.1966	12.10.1968	stricken 6.1996
SSN639	Tautog	1098	Ingalls, Pascagoula	27.1.1964	15.3.1967	17.8.1968	stricken 3.1997
SSN646	Grayling		Portsmouth N Yd, Kittery	12.5.1964	22.6.1967	11.10.1969	stricken 7.1997
SSN647	Pogy	1167	New York SB, Camden // Ingalls, Pascagoula	5.5.1964	3.6.1967	15.5.1971	stricken 6.1999
SSN648	Aspro	1103	Ingalls, Pascagoula	23.11.1964	29.11.1967	20.2.1969	stricken 3.1995
SSN649	Sunfish	2	General Dynamics, Quincy	15.1.1965	14.10.1966	15.3.1969	stricken 3.1997
SSN650	Pargo	174	Electric Boat, Groton	3.6.1964	17.9.1966	5.1.1968	stricken 4.1995
SSN651	Queenfish	571	Newport News SB	11.5.1964	25.2.1966	6.12.1966	stricken 4.1992
SSN652	Puffer	1109	Ingalls, Pascagoula	8.2.1965	30.3.1968	9.8.1969	stricken 7.1996
SSN653	Ray	573	Newport News SB	4.1.1965	21.6.1966	12.4.1967	stricken 3.1993
SSN660	Sand Lance		Portsmouth N Yd, Kittery	28.10.1967	11.11.1969	25.9.1971	stricken 8.1998
SSN661	Lapon	578	Newport News SB	27.7.1965	16.12.1966	14.12.1967	stricken 8.1992
SSN662	Gurnard		Mare Island N Yd, Vallejo	22.12.1964	20.5.1967	6.12.1968	stricken 4.1995
SSN663	Hammerhead	579	Newport News SB	29.11.1965	14.4.1967	28.6.1968	stricken 4.1995
SSN664	Sea Devil	580	Newport News SB	12.4.1966	5.10.1967	28.6.1968	stricken 10.1991
SSN665	Guitarro		Mare Island N Yd, Vallejo	9.12.1965	27.7.1968	9.9.1972	stricken 5.1992
SSN666	Hawkbill		Mare Island N Yd, Vallejo	12.9.1966	12.4.1969	4.2.1971	stricken 3.2000
SSN667	Bergall	185	Electric Boat, Groton	4.4.1966	17.2.1968	13.6.1969	stricken 6.1997
SSN668	Spadefish	581	Newport News SB	21.12.1966	15.5.1968	14.8.1969	stricken 4.1997
SSN669	Seahorse	189	Electric Boat, Groton	13.8.1966	15.6.1968	19.9.1969	stricken 8.1995
SSN670	Finback	582	Newport News SB	26.6.1967	7.12.1968	4.2.1970	stricken 3.1997
SSN671	Narwhal	182	Electric Boat, Groton	17.1.1966	9.9.1967	12.7.1969	stricken 7.1999
SSN672	Pintado		Mare Island N Yd, Vallejo	27.10.1967	16.8.1969	11.9.1971	stricken 2.1998
SSN673	Flying Fish	193	Electric Boat, Groton	30.6.1967	17.5.1969	29.4.1970	stricken 5.1996
SSN674	Trepang	195	Electric Boat, Groton	28.10.1967	27.9.1969	14.8.1970	stricken 6.1999
SSN675	Bluefish	196	Electric Boat, Groton	13.3.1968	10.1.1970	8.1.1971	stricken 6.1996
SSN676	Billfish	197	Electric Boat, Groton	20.9.1968	1.5.1970	12.3.1971	stricken 7.1999
SSN677	Drum		Mare Island N Yd, Vallejo	20.8.1968	23.5.1970	15.4.1972	stricken 10.1995
SSN678	Archerfish	198	Electric Boat, Groton	19.6.1969	16.1.1971	17.12.1971	stricken 3.1998
SSN679	Silversides	199	Electric Boat, Groton	28.11.1969	4.6.1971	5.5.1972	stricken 7.1994
SSN680	William H. Bates (ex-Redfish)	1174	Ingalls, Pascagoula	4.8.1969	11.12.1971	5.5.1973	stricken 2.2000
SSN681	Batfish	200	Electric Boat, Groton	9.2.1970	9.10.1971	5.5.1972	stricken 3.1999
SSN682	Tunny	1175	Ingalls, Pascagoula	22.5.1970	10.6.1972	26.1.1974	stricken 3.1998
SSN683	Parche	1176	Ingalls, Pascagoula	10.12.1970	13.1.1973	17.8.1974	stricken 7.2005
SSN684	Cavalla	201	Electric Boat, Groton	23.5.1970	19.2.1972	9.2.1973	stricken 3.1998
SSN685	Glenard P. Lipscomb	202	Electric Boat, Groton	5.6.1971	4.6.1973	21.12.1974	stricken 7.1990
SSN686	L. Mendel Rivers	597	Newport News SB	26.6.1971	2.6.1973	1.2.1975	stricken 5.2001
SSN687	Richard B. Russell	598	Newport News SB	19.10.1971	12.1.1974	16.8.1975	stricken 6.1994

Technical data

Data variant	all except SSN671 and SSN685	SSN671	SSN685
Displacement standard, t
Displacement normal, t	4246 / 4777	4450 / 5350	5813 / 6480
Length, m	SSN637 - 639, 646 - 653, 660 - 670, 672 - 677: 89.1 SSN678 - 684, 686, 687: 92.1	96.0	111.2
Breadth, m	9.70	11.5	9.70
Draught, m	7.80	8.80	7.80
No of shafts	1	1	1
Machinery	2 sets General Electric or De Laval geared steam turbines, 1 Westinghouse S5W nuclear reactor	2 sets General Electric or De Laval geared steam turbines, 1 General Electric S5G nuclear reactor	2 sets General Electric steam turbine generators, 1 Westinghouse S5Wa nuclear reactor, 2 electric motors
Power, h. p.	15000	17000	15000
Max speed, kts	15 / 26	20 / 25	18 / 23
Fuel, t	nuclear	nuclear	nuclear
Endurance, nm(kts)	practically unlimited	practically unlimited	practically unlimited
Armament	4 - 533 Mk 63 TT (amidships, 23 torpedoes, including 4 SUBROC UUM-44 ASW rockets)	4 - 533 Mk 63 TT (amidships, 26 torpedoes, including 4 SUBROC UUM-44 ASW rockets)	4 - 533 Mk 63 TT (amidships, 23 torpedoes, including 4 SUBROC UUM-44 ASW rockets)
Electronic equipment	SSN637-639, 646-653, 660-664: BPS-14 or BPS-15 radar, BQQ-2 (BQS-6 + BQR-7) sonar suite, BQS-8, BQS-12 sonars, WLR-4 ECM suite, Mk 113 CCS SSN665-670, 672-677: BPS-14 or BPS-15 radar, BQQ-2 (BQS-6 + BQR-7) sonar suite, BQS-8, BQS-13 sonars, WLR-4 ECM suite, Mk 113 CCS SSN678-684, 686, 687: BPS-14 or BPS-15 radar, BQQ-5 sonar suite, BQS-8, BQS-13 sonars, WLR-4 ECM suite, Mk 113 CCS	BPS-14 radar, BQQ-2 sonar suite, BQS-8 sonar, WLR-8 ECM suite, Mk 113 CCS	BPS-15 radar, BQQ-2 sonar suite, BQS-14 sonar, Mk 113 CCS
Complement	99	120	121
Diving depth operational, m	400	400	400

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

This is the largest class of submarines built by the United States since 1945; officially it was subdivided into Thresher/Permit and Sturgeon classes; the original name-ship, Thresher, was lost on diving trials on 10 April 1963. They combine a stronger hull for deeper diving with an advanced long-range BQQ-2 sonar and its associated SUBROC missile; diving depth is reportedly 400m. Later units were lengthened to permit die installation of a BQQ-5 sonar in place of BQQ-2; the extra space is free flooding, and underwater displacement rises by about 200t to 350t (SSN613-615 and most Sturgeon class submarines); ultimately all of these units will have BQQ-5. All will also ultimately receive the Mk 117 fire control system in place of their current Mk 113, providing facilities for Harpoon anti-ship missile control. However, since SUBROC is an analogue rather than a digital weapon, and Mk 117 is a fully digital fire control system, the long-range ASW capability (except as provided by the Mk 48 torpedo) is being lost. SSN613-615 were, in effect, prototype Sturgeons with heavier machinery, taller fins (6.1m rather than 4.2m or 4.6m), improved safety features ('Sub-safe' programme), and lengthened hulls.

As officially described in 1979, Thresher class design compromises included a low sail, inadequate numbers of periscopes and antennas, and limited electronics. The reduced sail height was specifically accepted to minimize the speed loss, given the fixed reactor power of the S5W. The SSN637 class was considerably enlarged for a combination of quieting and additional electronics, as well as improved internal arrangements. Presumably the electronics was a combination of sonar signal processing and torpedo control, one control console being required for each wire-guided torpedo.

These submarines were intended primarily for ASW, with a large spherical sonar array filling their bows, and the torpedo battery, reduced to four tubes, moved aft to abreast the fin, firing diagonally from the hull. One advantage of this arrangement was that a large torpedo room could be provided, permitting a relatively easy choice of weapons for each tube. By the late 1060s, the submarine commander had a choice of long ASW torpedoes, nuclear torpedoes (Astor, or Mk 45, now retired), long anti-ship torpedoes, or SUBROC now there are Harpoon (first tested in Permit in 1976) and, very soon, Tomahawk. Unfortunately total weapon capacity was quite small, figures as low as twenty torpedoes in stowage being reported, so that this variety of weapons is very much a mixed blessing. Indeed, one advantage of the adoption of the Mk 48 torpedo was that it can replace both long ASW and long anti-ship weapons, and the Mk 45 was discarded partly because it consumed valuable space but was unlikely to be used in action.

Since the power plant, the S5W, duplicated that of the earlier Skipjack, and the size of these submarines was much greater (by at least 800t), these ships were considerably slower. There were three attempts within this class id improve propulsion. Jack has contraprops on her single screw, an arrangement never duplicated. Narwhal has a natural convection powerplant (S5G rather than S5W); and Glenard P. Lipscomb had turbo-electric propulsion, both of the last two choices having been made for quietness.

Modernizations

1970s-1980s, Hawkbill, Pintado, William H. Bates, Richard B. Russell and may be others: can carry DSRV submersible

early 1980s, Whale, Tautog, Grayling, Pogy, Aspro, Sunfish, Queenfish, Puffer, Sandlance, Gurnard, Hammerhead, Guitarro, Hawkbill, Bergall, Spadefish, Seahorse, Finback, Pintado, Flying Fish, Trepang, Silversides, William H. Bates, Batfish, Tunny, Cavalla, Mendel Rivers, Richard B. Russell, late 1980s, Sturgeon, Pargo, Ray, Lapon, Sea Devil, Bluefish, Billfish, Drum, Archerfish, Parche: + 4 Harpoon SSM (UGM-84) in place of other weapons

1980s, Sturgeon, Whale, Tautog, Grayling, Pogy, Aspro, Sunfish, Pargo, Queenfish, Puffer, Ray, Sandlance, Lapon, Gurnard, Hammerhead, Sea Devil, Guitarro, Hawkbill, Bergall, Spadefish, Seahorse, Finback, Pintado, Flying Fish, Trepang, Bluefish, Billfish, Drum, Glenard P. Lipscomb: - BQQ-2 sonar suite; + BQQ-5 sonar suite

1980s, almost all: - Mk 113 CCS; + Mk 117 CCS

1982-1992, Archerfish, Silversides, William H. Bates, Tunny, Cavalla, Mendel Rivers: can carry Dry Deck Shelters (DDS) for 16 SEALs and their SDV

1984, Guitarro, late 1980s, Sturgeon, Whale, Tautog, Grayling, Pogy, Aspro, Sunfish, Pargo, Queenfish, Puffer, Ray, Sandlance, Lapon, Gurnard, Hammerhead, Sea Devil, Hawkbill, Bergall, Spadefish, Seahorse, Finback, Pintado, Flying Fish, Trepang, Bluefish, Billfish, Drum, Archerfish, Silversides, William H. Bates, Batfish, Tunny, Parche, Cavalla, Mendel Rivers, Richard B. Russell: + up to 8 Tomahawk CruM (BGM-109) in place of other weapons

(1/1987 - 1991, Mare Island N Yd), Parche: was lengthened (122.4x9.65x10.7m, 6140/7140t), re-engined (S5W2 reactor, 20000hp, 15/30kts), crew was 147 men. She was equipped to recover objects from the sea bottom.

Naval service

No significant events.