Los Angeles class submarine

USS Greeneville off the coast of Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Los Angeles-class attack submarines (SSN) were the most numerous class of nuclear powered submarines built by any nation, and formed the bulk of the U.S. attack submarine force well into the 21st century. They were preceded by the Sturgeon class and followed by the Seawolf class.

LA-class submarines are extremely fast and carry about 25 torpedo-tube launched weapons. Any boat of this class may launch a Tomahawk cruise missile from its horizontal torpedo tubes. However, the last 31 boats of the class have 12 vertical launch tubes specifically for this purpose.

The final 23 boats in the series, referred to as "688I," are even quieter, incorporate an advanced combat system, and are configured for under-ice operations (with diving planes on the bow and a reinforced sail). The Navy is phasing out the Los Angeles-class attack submarines in favor of the Virginia class attack submarines, a handful of which are already completed.

General Characteristics

Builders: Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding
Displacement: 6,927 tons submerged
Length: 360 feet
Beam: 33 feet
Draft: 32 feet
Propulsion: S6G reactor
Speed: 25+ knots submerged
Depth: Greater than 800 feet
Complement: 140
Armament:
- Four 21-inch forward torpedo tubes
- on SSNs 719-725 and 750-773, 12 Vertical Launch System tubes

Boats

Homeported at the Naval Submarine Base, Groton, Connecticut

Homeported at the Naval Submarine Base, Norfolk, Virginia

Homeported at the Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Homeported at the Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Homeported at the Naval Submarine Base, San Diego, California

Stricken, to be disposed of by submarine recycling

Further information

GlobalSecurity.org -- SSN-688 Los Angeles-class (http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/ssn-688.htm)
Role of the Modern Submarine (http://www.submarinehistory.com/21stCentury.html)
World War II Submarine Veterans Oral History Project (http://www.oralhistoryproject.com)

Los Angeles-class submarine

VLS

688I

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

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